3 reasons why so many icons in FIFA 22 just aren’t worth the effort

Icon cards in FIFA 22 are actually meant to bring the achievements of legendary players to the pitch. But meanwhile, many icons hardly do justice to their real role models, says MeinMMO author Max Handwerk.

In FIFA 14 they came to the Xbox consoles as “legends”, since FIFA 18 they have been represented on all platforms: the “icons”. Some of the best players to ever walk the soccer field.

Since then, the field of icons has continued to grow. Famous names like Zidane, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo or Cantona can be signed in FUT to strengthen the players’ Ultimate Teams.

And yes, some of these icons are some of the best cards to have in the game. There’s no mistaking it: Ronaldo, Pelé, Maradona, Eusébio, Gullit, Zidane and many more legends can be a damn powerful addition to your team. Only the new TOTY cards are currently at this level.

At the same time, there are simply too many icons that can no longer keep up with the “power curve” in FIFA – even though they are still hard to come by. Several problems are dragging down the mood around icons in FIFA.

1. Some Icon cards are simply outdated or don’t fit FIFA

One problem with the icons is that the values ​​have been largely static for years. For example, if you compare the FIFA 18 Icons list with the FIFA 22 Icons, you can see: Icons that were already present in FIFA 18 have at most minimal to no changes to the stats of their base, mid and prime cards to get.

An exception are the Moments cards, which will be improved again, but only become available later in the game. But it should also be said here that they are so rare that they even fueled a black market scandal in FIFA 21.

The fact that the values ​​​​no longer move makes sense on the one hand – after all, the performance of the players no longer changes over the years because they are based on past epochs – but hardly fits the gameplay in FUT.

Take a look at maps like Puyol or Nesta, for example. Absolute world-class central defenders who, in their respective creative periods, were among the best you could have on the pitch. But in FIFA 22, they are outranked by players like Kimpembe – simply because they have a higher speed, a better body type or other detail values.

This can also be transferred to other players. Take a Miroslav Klose, for example. The man is the FIFA World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer but lags behind forwards in FIFA who have done far less.

Players like Litmanen, Lineker, Scholes, Owen and van Nistelrooy are also at low levels in the FIFA popularity rankings that shouldn’t be possible for icons given their legendary status.

Basically, a reassessment or adjustment is necessary here. Because some icons simply don’t reflect what made them different compared to players who have done significantly less in their careers: namely that they were absolutely exceptional players.

2. The effort does not do justice to many icons

Here you have to differentiate: namely between top icons like Ronaldo and cards that don’t fit so well into the FIFA meta. Because while a lot of effort is certainly justified – or at least more reasonable – for some of the best cards in the game, what’s required for weaker icons is extreme.

Especially at the beginning of the game, where the “weak” icons would be more worthwhile because they have not yet been overtaken by any high-powered special cards, they are still exorbitantly expensive. Don’t expect icons from packs either – they’re incredibly rare there.

The alternative ways to get such icons would be icon SBCs or icon swapping. But the:

• On the one hand, they come too late in the “FIFA cycle” – namely often when the value of the icons is already falling.
• And require an effort that’s just not worth it for many cards.

The icon SBCs for specific, strong legends are often extremely expensive. They then consist of an insane number of highly valued teams that you have to hand over, so that the exchange is hardly possible or worthwhile.

And the legends in the icon swaps are either too weak for the current state of the “power curve” or just need a hell of a lot of icon tokens. Here you have to fight your way through sometimes extremely time-consuming, little entertaining tasks in order to get the top icons out of the swaps.

Unless you choose the “random variant” – namely the icon packs. And here we come to point 3.

3. Nothing is more frustrating than a lost icon roulette

One option to get the FIFA Icons are the SBCs, which grant an icon pack. But you can also get them thanks to icon packs with specific stats from icon swaps that cost less tokens. They still require a lot of effort, at least they are something easier to do.

These packs then contain a random icon. And of course that’s tempting: Because here you have the chance to draw an absolute top icon. So, in theory.

But anyone who knows the packing chances in FIFA 22 knows: Absolute top cards are not the rule, but the exception.

All too often it happens that you don’t get Ronaldo, Puskas or Zidane from something like that, but rather Lampard, Schweinsteiger or Klose, who just don’t get you any further in FIFA.

Worst of all, you get a legendary fan favorite for your team who might even have been one of your favorite players. The card is then of no use on the pitch.

A revision of the icons seems appropriate for a long time. This is also what many players find on the FIFA subreddit. Many players would like to see both an editing of various player values ​​and a rewrite of options such as icon swaps or icon SBCs.

How do you see the topic? Are you happy with the Icons in FIFA 22, or would you like an overhaul? Tell us in the comments!

And you can find strong icons for little coins in FIFA 22 here.