FIFA 18: EA Sports announce La Liga rating upgrades

Coutinho's rise in rankings was anticipated early on in the year
Coutinho's rise in rankings was anticipated early on in the year

What's the story?

As the World Cup fast approaches, EA Sports' FIFA 18 has finally had its share of makeovers with the creators giving La Liga players the much-anticipated winter upgrades to go with the evolving aspects of the game.

In case you didn't know

In recent times, the creators of the game have opted to give the game a makeover with every passing year, to keep up with the changes and updates in the real world sport.

However, what has grabbed all eyeballs in this year's update is the fact that the players' statistics have not been downgraded.

The heart of the matter

La Liga giants Barcelona, a team who are enjoying a fantastic season thus far, dominated the winter updates. Recently signed Brazilian superstar Phillipe Coutinho gained a point (86 to 87) while the defensive trio of Jordi Alba (85 to 87), Sergio Busquets (86 to 87) and Sergi Roberto (81 to 82) also received upgrades.

RC Celta de Vigo's center midfielder Maximiliano Gomez was the biggest beneficiary, jumping a mammoth seven points to sit on 77 from his previous 70 while Valencia CF's Goncalo Guedes (74 to 79) and Geoffrey Kondogbia (76 to 80) also enjoyed a surge in ratings.

Barcelona's goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen moved from 85 to 87 to complement teammate Paulinho, whose rating increased by two (81 to 83). Atletico Madrid's fabulous show in the ongoing season translated into higher ratings for Filipe Luis (85 to 86), Koke (85 to 86) and Saul (82 to 83) while Casemiro was the lone Real Madrid player to receive an upgrade (85 to 86).

What's next?

The upgrade in the ratings will only add more excitement to the gameplay with a lot more exciting combinations on offer.

Author's take

Given the magnitude of impact that the ratings have when it comes to forming the FIFA Ultimate Team, the update could see many new strategies being implemented by gamers to bolster their squad.