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What's the story?
EA Sports released FIFA 18's next stage of trailers and teasers for the upcoming release of the hugely popular console gaming franchise this week and brought with it some noteworthy additions.
One of the most surprising additions can be seen in the newly launched ICONS edition of the game. The edition will be available along with the Standard edition and is a rendition of the now scrapped "Legends" of FIFA.
The ratings for some of the biggest icons were revealed by the developers this week and what drove home most was that three different player cards were available for each player, each one with unique numbers. While fans may have been confused as to what they were witnessing, the real reason can now be revealed.
In case you didn't know...
ICONS edition of FIFA 18 was announced earlier this year and features Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario on the cover. It includes legends from the past and has unique ratings for these players in a class of their own, untouched by today's best players in the world. This is why the likes of Maradona may actually be rated even higher than Messi in the upcoming game.
The heart of the matter
The three versions of ICONS can be witnessed in the rating system made by EA. For example, if you take Michael Owen as one of the legends in the game, he features three cards. One of them is from 1998 when he was a youngster coming through the ranks at Liverpool. The second one is from 2001 when he was a sought-after commodity after leading Liverpool to a UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup treble. The third card - Owen's lowest rated - is the 2005 version, by which time he was back in England from Real Madrid and looked past his best.
Just like the description, the ratings vary too. Owen is rated 88 in the 1998 version, 91 in the 2001 version and 86 in the 2005 version, owing to how prolific he was during each tenure. The same can be applied to other legends featuring in the game.
What's next?
The ICONS edition of FIFA 18 will be available on PS 4, Xbox One and PC if you're looking to find these new editions. A version of FIFA 18 will also be available on Nintendo Switch on 29th September.
Author's take
The new rating system seems pretty realistic when you look into it like this and highlights the high points of a legend's career. While details are sketchy on how and when the cards can be used, one can be sure that these legends will have a major impact on the game when it releases late next month.
