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EA Sports has continued the theme of rivalries in the Showdown Series promo of FIFA 23 Ultimate Team by releasing two Icons who have represented opposing teams in the past, including John Barnes from Liverpool.
The English forward made a name for himself with the Merseyside club, and his incredible Prime Icon version is now available via an SBC.
Icons are a staple of Ultimate Team and some of the game's most coveted and overpowered items. EA Sports frequently releases specific versions of these legendary footballers as SBCs, with John Barnes being the latest inclusion alongside his Manchester United rival Nemanja Vidic.
Prime Icon John Barnes can be unlocked via an SBC in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team
Not only is John Barnes a legend for Liverpool FC, his performances over the years have solidified his stature as a Premier League legend as well. He was included on the Icon roster of Ultimate Team in FIFA 20, and while his cards aren't amongst the highest-rated Icons, he definitely possesses the stats to be amazing in-game.
What does Prime Icon John Barnes look like in FIFA 23?
The English legend has an 89-rated Prime Icon variant with the following key attributes:
- Pace: 90
- Dribbling: 91
- Shooting: 87
- Defending: 45
- Passing: 85
- Physicality: 85
He possesses four-star skill moves and a four-star weak foot and can be deployed as a left-winger, left-midfielder, or central attacking midfielder. This boosts his viability in the current meta of FIFA 23 and makes it easier for players to accommodate him in their FUT squads.
How to unlock this card?
The SBC consists of four segments, each with stipulations and pack rewards. These are the specific requirements of each segment:
Born Legend
- Rare players: Exactly 11
- Player level: Exactly Bronze
Rising Star
- Rare players: Exactly 11
- Player level: Exactly Silver
Digger
- Number of players from Liverpool: Minimum one
- Team of the Week or FUT Champions players: Minimum one
- Squad Rating: Minimum 84
The Three Lions
- Number of players from England: Minimum one
- Squad Rating: Minimum 85
The overall expected cost of the SBC is around 170,000 FUT coins, which is close to the price of the tradeable version in the FIFA 23 Transfer Market. While this might discourage those who prefer to buy the tradeable variant, they can gradually craft the SBC over time to bring the price down by using untradeable assets from their FUT clubs.
Is it worth completing the SBC in FIFA 23?
Prime Icon John Barnes is rather inexpensive to unlock, especially considering his attributes, alternative positions, and the fact that he is an Icon. They have a certain aura about them in-game that allows them to perform even better than their stats suggest. This makes the SBC a worthwhile proposition, especially for Liverpool fans.
With cards like Flashback Smalling, TOTY Jude Bellingham, and Showdown Bynoe-Gittens being rather hard to accommodate into FUT squads due to their chemistry links, an English Icon like John Barnes could be the perfect solution.
