When all the details about FIFA 22 Division Rivals and FUT Champions were released, there was a lot of hype around how FUT Champions in particular was going to be the most competitive it has ever been. However, the reality is that this year is the least competitive. As a competitive FIFA player myself, I’m not sure how I feel about it.
FIFA 22: The Least Competitive FIFA in Franchise History?
An Un-Competitive Competitive game mode?
The Competitive FUT game mode, FUT Champions, has been in FUT since FIFA 17. We were first introduced to playing 40 games in a weekend in an attempt to show how we were the best at FIFA.
I have only properly taken part in it since FIFA 19, when I achieved Elite 3 rating a few times and enjoyed the challenge to get better and improve my rank.
Last year, I achieved my best rank, as I went 23-5 in a weekend early on in the year.
This year however, I entered Weekend League for the first time with only a day to play all my games. I won 12 games, got one disconnect and 4 other losses as I finished 12-5. I was disappointed in my performance and I felt like there was a lot of room for me to improve.
Worth Getting Better?
The issue however was that the highest rank you can get this year is 16-4. There is no benefit from going 20-0 in comparison to 16-4 as the rewards you get are the exact same.
The other issue is that if you get to the point like I did at 12-5, you still have three games left before you are allowed to get your rewards. This means that you have no drive to win your last games as it won’t change your final reward. That, and 8 wins gets you Elite level rewards this year- under 50%!
As you benefit even from losing this year, it makes it feel as though each game isn’t as important.
FUT Rivals: The Place to Compete
Whilst FUT Champions is less competitive, FUT Rivals is where you should head if you want to challenge yourself. If you can work your way up to the Elite Division, you will be competing against the best of the best of FIFA 22 player. You will also most likely end up playing against a pro player or two when you’re there.
The issue is that to get there is a long road. I’d suggest playing with a teammate and having some fun with it en route. Don’t worry about losing games as you have checkpoints that make sure you never get relegated.
The Last Word on Gaming Viewpoint
EA seem to be rewarding the average FIFA player this year. However, with SBCs so far being quite overpriced (Cristiano Ronaldo POTM cough cough), maybe the ease with which everyone can get rewards this year will result in some very expensive and overpriced cards.
Personally, I miss the competitiveness of FUT Champions, but I do love having the rewards when you want them. Hopefully the community however will become better from this, so that if we ever get a seriously competitive mode, the toxicity in the game won’t be as prevalent.
