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FC 24 Ultimate Team will once again be the most popular game mode in this season’s offering. The major money-spinner for EA, Ultimate Team contains plenty of new features this season, including male and female players sharing the pitch for the first time in FUT.
As we hurtle towards the EA Sports FC 24 release date, EA has now released the full Ultimate Team patch notes. There are great improvements across all the different modes within Ultimate Team. This includes a much-needed change to Squad Battles and alteration to the classic Champs Red Picks.
Find out everything you need to know about FC 24 Ultimate Team below.
What is FC 24 Ultimate Team?
It is a year of change in EA Sports FC Ultimate Team as EA brings to you the world’s game. Some brand-new features are coming to the mode this year, with some additions set to revolutionise the mode. These changes will surely add a new dimension to the way you play.
In Ultimate Team you can build your dream XI, combining players from the past and present, linked by chemistry to give them an extra boost. Throughout the season, promo events will provide boosted versions of players, so you need to play regularly to keep up with the increasing power curve of the mode!
What game modes are in FC 24 Ultimate Team?
Although there are lots of new features, Ultimate Team will still contain all the game modes and experiences we have grown to love over the years! You can look forward to:
Moments: Complete challenges against the CPU to earn Stars, then trade those Stars for rewards. This mode doesn’t appear to be changing too much this season.
Squad Battles: Play against various CPU squads to earn points, go up the rankings, and earn weekly rewards. A much-needed switch to four-minute halves is coming to Squad Battles. There will also be a total of 32 weekly matches to play, rather than 40 from FIFA 23.
Division Rivals: Play against human opposition to climb the ranks, earning better weekly and monthly rewards based on your final standing. This year, reaching Division 2 or higher will bring better rewards.
FUT Champions: The most competitive mode in Ultimate Team, you need to qualify for FUT Champions (also known as Weekend League), then have a few days to play 20 games against human opposition, with more wins getting you a higher rank and better rewards. The classic Red Picks are changing too.
“In Champions we’ll update rewards throughout the year to make sure that they feel meaningful, whether you are playing in October, February, or June. The most notable change you’ll see right away at launch is that Ultimate Team Champions Player Items (sometimes referred to as Red Picks) will be replaced by rewards of equivalent value in-game.” Got it? Good.
Friendlies: A variety of game modes with restrictions and rules, with no impact on contracts or match records. Usually used for completing objectives.
Draft: Play against the CPU or a human opponent. Build a squad through player picks, then see if you can make a four-game winning streak for big rewards.
Squad Building Challenges: An essential area of FUT, trade-in players from your club that meet squad building requirements to earn rewards such as special player items and packs.
FC 24 Ultimate Team new features
There are loads of new features coming to the game this season, so let’s dive right in.
Ultimate Team Evolutions
This year in FC Ultimate Team, you will be able to boost your own players within your club. Using the new Ultimate Team Evolutions, you can “create your own club legends by upgrading players via Evolutions objectives.”
Pick a player that fits the requirements, complete the corresponding gameplay challenges, then permanently upgrade your player! Upgrades can include overall stats, specific attributes, skill moves, weak foot ability, work rates, PlayStyles, and alternative positions.
As the campaign progresses, new challenges will be introduced in new Seasons, so you can level up your player to stay with the power curve. However, once you pick a player to evolve, you can’t change them back, and tradeable players will become untradeable.
There will be 12 evolutions to choose from in the opening season in Ultimate Team. There will also be a variety of different styles of upgrade to chhose from. Here is the official word from EA on the matter:
- Gameplay: These Evolutions will provide updates to a range of in-game stats, from flat OVR upgrades to Evolutions that target upgrading in-game Attributes such as Stamina.
- Utility: These Evolutions will give you more flexibility that will help maximise squad building options by adding alternate positions, adjusting work rates, and more throughout the year.
- Cosmetic: These Evolutions will be focussed on upgrading the visual look of your Player Items.
Lastly, there will be no limit on which players can be used. Regardless of the item type, as long as the player fits the criteria, you can use them in evolutions!
PlayStyles and PlayStyles+
In FC 24, the new PlayStyles system goes “beyond attributes and overall ratings, equipping footballers with their signature abilities so you can build your squad based on how they actually play on the pitch – and how you like to play.”
Effectively, they are replacing Traits in the game. Throughout the Ultimate Team campaign, more players will be released through promos with diverse and unique PlayStyles, and you can customise your players’ PlayStyles through Evolutions.
Women’s Football
Women will be in Ultimate Team! As introduced by England captain Leah Williamson, “Ultimate means everyone – welcome women’s football to Ultimate Team to unlock a new world of squad building potential.”
Around 1600 new players will be added, including FUT Heroes and Icons. Players from the Barclays Women’s Super League, D1 Arkema, Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga, Liga F, National Women’s Soccer League, and select clubs from the UEFA Women’s Champions League will be available at launch.
Chemistry will work in the same way, with overlap coming between the men’s and women’s game through club and nation connections.
Item Design
You will notice that FUT play cards have received a new layout design, which will show off the player portrait and background art more. As well as creating a larger image, more card details will be shown in a streamlined manner.
Some special and in-form items will also have art “breaking out” of the card shell, with customised animations for select designs.
Position Modifiers removed
Position Modifier consumables have been removed from the game. Instead, a player will automatically provide chemistry if moved into their Primary or Alternative Positions.
Club Search
Loan Players will no longer appear when squad building in SBCs. Position searches will now include Primary and Alternative Positions, making squad building easier.
Icon Chemistry and Versions
There will no longer be Mid and Prime Icons, with a Base Icon version being available from the start of the game. Instead, new versions will come as Campaign Icons, as we have seen throughout FIFA 23.
Icon chemistry has also been updated, so they will now give an additional chemistry point to every league represented in your squad, in addition to the nation chemistry. This will make Icon cards more powerful, as they felt a bit lackluster in FUT 23.
New Menus
Menus have been redesigned, with a Quick Switcher helping you jump between the areas of Ultimate Team with ease. Objectives have also been freshened up, with objective groups organised in a way to make it easier to manage your play and progress, with themes appearing for certain sets.
Squad Battles Match Length
One of the most requested changes has come to FUT 24, with shorter half lengths in Squad Battles. Instead of the usual six minutes, half lengths will now be four minutes.
Claim All
Another highly-requested feature, there is now a Claim All button for objective rewards. By clicking L3, you can now gain all the unlocked rewards from an objective set in one go.
Item Improvements
If you pack multiple untradeable duplicate items, you will now be able to swap them with tradeable versions from your club in bulk, rather than one by one. New kits and tifos can also be manually equipped from the new items screen.
FC 24 Ultimate Team Promo Events
We already know a couple of the promo campaigns that await us in FC 24 Ultimate Team! This is because of the bonuses on offer for pre-orders and also some of the information revealed in deep-dive material.
The first promo will be a Nike campaign, which is only accessible during early access. It will begin on September 22, the same time as early access starts, and run for one week. We don’t know much more about it, as it will be a totally new event.
Road to the Knockouts has also been confirmed for a return, with an objective set for Phil Foden shown off in the deep dive. Although it states under the picture that the player is not confirmed for the campaign, it doesn’t deny the campaign is happening!
FUT Transfer Market
We don’t know what effect EA’s split from FIFA will have, but the transfer market and FC points (formerly FIFA points) could be an area that sees change. We already have a crossplay transfer market, with consoles and PC sharing one market within the Ultimate Team eco-system.
FIFA Points have also increased in price during the FIFA 23 cycle. This could suggest at further changes to the cost and amount of FC Points you can purchase.
Packs have also been subject of scrutiny, with their legality called into question in several locations around the world. FIFA packs and loot boxes have been deemed not gambling in the UK, so remain in the game for UK fans.
Ultimate Team Pre-Order bonus
As ever, those who use FC 24 pre orders will receive some great in-game bonuses and rewards. The Ultimate Edition of FC 24 will see you receive the following rewards:
- Seven Days Early Access
- 4,600 FC Points
- Access to Nike Ultimate Team Campaign
- 1 x TOTW 1 Player Item
- 1 x Nike Ultimate Team Campaign Loan Player Item (24 matches) and Nike x EA Sports FC Ultimate Team Kit
- 1 x Untradable UCL/UWCL Hero item (If pre-ordered before August 22) – Available in-game November 27
The Standard Edition of the game won’t get you nearly as much. Included in the Standard Edition are the following rewards:
- Dual Entitlement
- 1 x Erling Haaland Ultimate Team Cover Star Loan Player Item (10 matches)
- 2 x FUT Ambassador Loan Player Pick (5 matches)
- One Clubs Unlocked PlayStyles Slot
- Additional Player Career Personality Points
- One Manager Career 5-Star Coach available to hire
With all this going on within Ultimate Team, EA Sports FC 24 Career Mode could once again be put on the back burner. Another area that EA will look to consolidate it the licences in EA Sports FC, with Konami and eFootball looking to secure as many top teams as they can. Nintendo Switch fans can also look forward to the new game as the platform will see FC 24 much improved from last season’s legacy edition.
Will EA FC 24 have Ultimate Team?
Yes, EA has confirmed the EA FC 24 will feature Ultimate Team, as well as Career Mode, Clubs, and VOLTA.
When will I get my pre-season rewards in FC 24?
Eligible players will receive their pre-season rewards by October 12. Rewards must be redeemed by November 12.
