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As EA FC 24 lights the candles to celebrate 15 years of Football Ultimate Team, the Ultimate Birthday event has kicked off, promising two weeks of 5-star festivities. From traditional upgrades like 5-star Weak Foot and Skill Moves to the introduction of new fantasy ICONs and celebratory PlayStyle upgrades, the event is designed to be a grand party.
Yet, amid the excitement, a Reddit discussion has surfaced, highlighting a concerning sentiment among the player base:
"Looking at this makes me unironically sad. All these cards and we know we are only getting the 5 of them."
Dissapointed EA FC 24 players discuss Ultimate Birthday cards on Reddit
The community's response to EA FC 24's Ultimate Birthday cards has been a mix of frustration, disillusionment, and nostalgia for past celebrations. Players are sharing their experiences and strategies, such as saving packs for specific Squad Building Challenges (SBCs) or relying on SBC players to build their squads, as a testament to the current state of the game. The discussion took place under a post by u/Adventurous_Team285 on the r/EASportsFC subreddit.
A common theme is the struggle to obtain high-value players, with many lamenting the rarity of pulling a card worth 500k or more despite consistent elite performances and engagement with the game's content.
Duplication issues and the apparent targeting of high-value cards towards a select group of players, including streamers and the elite, exacerbate disatisfaction with situation. The sentiment that birthday celebrations have devolved from genuine events to mere promotions resonated with many in the community.
The cycle of continuous promo cards, Team of the Week (TOTW) releases, and the seemingly deliberate scarcity of top-tier cards has fueled a sense of futility and disenchantment among players. The reliance on Squad Building Challenges (SBCs) for team improvements and the sporadic "big win" from promos only adds to the growing discontent.
The discussion sheds light on broader issues within the game's ecosystem, such as the feeling of being perpetually at a disadvantage against players who manage to obtain the elusive "god cards."
Moreover, the community criticized the abundance of "special events" as a strategy to maintain player addiction and exploit the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), compelling players to spend on EA points in the hopes of securing that one desirable card.
Personal accounts of promo hauls, like the rare occurrence of pulling an ICON from a pack, underscore the hit-or-miss nature of these events, with many cards ending up as mere fodder for future SBCs.
The Reddit discussion around the Ultimate Birthday cards in EA FC 24 reveals a complex relationship between the game's developers and its player base. While the event is meant to be a celebration, for many, it underscores the challenges and frustrations of engaging with a game where the odds seem perennially stacked against the average player.
