The FIFA Ultimate Team weekend league is the pinnacle of competitive 1v1 FIFA as players grind out 30 games every weekend in a bid to acquire more lucrative rewards with every step up the ranking ladder.
But what is the difference between a player who strolls to Elite 3 versus the player who has been stuck in Gold 1 for the year? How is it so easy to secure Gold 3? For some, the answer is a trip back to the drawing board to work on some new tactics, but it could be much simpler than that with a change of approach to ensure optimal performance throughout the grind.
10 Play When The Servers Are Less Busy
EA Sports seem unable to fix bad gameplay and frustrating delay which makes players feel like they’re turning in mud intent on swallowing attacking players into the ground. FIFA feels like it’s easier to find a treasure chest on your daily commute than it is to find a game with low enough ping when loading up some FUT Champions at times. Usually, the best time to play good gameplay matches is late at night or early in the morning. Of course, this may make it effectively impossible to play — and you can’t be expected to plan your weekend around FIFA.
9 Don’t Aim To Finish All 30 Games If It’s Unrealistic
Setting out to complete all 30 games over a weekend is a bad start for anyone with a busy school or work schedule. As the matches get tougher, the games quickly become more frustrating which makes it more difficult to play at your optimal level. Instead, aim to achieve Silver 1 - Gold 3, and don’t be afraid to go and play something else if it’s turning into a bad weekend. Competitive players know that even rewards at Gold 1 and above can often feel like it wasn’t worth the grind.
8 Keep Calm When Things Go Wrong
FIFA’s current game engine will throw up all sorts of misfortune for both players. Whether it’s tackling an attacker multiple times and not being rewarded with possession or even FIFA 21’s best goalkeepers parrying a weak shot into an easy rebound goal. This makes it easy to rage — and even more so when playing in FIFA’s most competitive mode. Every professional player will highlight the importance of keeping calm in the most unlucky moments. Failing to keep calm will quickly double an opponent’s 1-0 lead; don’t let the game get out of sight.
7 Use A Wired Connection
Acquiring a wired connection via ethernet cable or wireless plugs will ensure you get the best speeds and lowest ping possible. The more lag that you allow into your game will drain the skill element out of the match-up; techniques that work in a good connection can feel alien in a game where the latency indicator is constantly flashing yellow and red at the top of the screen. It’s time to play something else if it’s not possible to find a FUT Champions game with a reasonable connection.
6 Don’t Quit If You Are Finishing Your Games
Matchmaking can often be unfair as players are pitted against teams that have benefited from much more investment. This means FIFA Ultimate Team grinders can soon find themselves three goals down if handed a tough away game in lag. But beware; quitting affects your ELO score (the difference between your total wins and losses for the weekend). A loss will normally lower your ELO, but quitting means it will remain unchanged, meaning future games will be against more difficult opponents. ELO climbs as high as 15 which is where games will peak in terms of the level of difficulty.
5 Take Breaks
It may be easy to coast through games with a super team as an experienced player, but the majority of FIFA players will face tough games where the deficit is rarely more than one goal. Take short five-minute breaks after each win and perhaps a little longer if suffering an unlucky defeat. Trying to make up for a loss quickly can mean heading into a match on tilt which in the long run means more mistakes… and more losses.
4 Keep Updated And Adapt To Changes In The Meta
One of the most frustrating elements of FIFA 21 is unlearning techniques that were previously working effectively; this is because it takes longer to unlearn behavior than it does to learn something new.
EA Sports seem to constantly tweak finesse shots and weak foot actions amongst a vast array of in-game moves which can make it difficult to keep up. Watching pro players on Twitch or YouTube is a good way to find out what moves may no longer be recommended meta plays.
3 Take Advantage Of Good Value SBCs And Objectives
FIFA fans should take advantage of the new releases that can make an instant impact and improvement to their team. If players don’t know how to make a lot of coins on Ultimate Team, it’s important to complete the objectives where high-rated players can be worked towards without spending. The latest 89-rated Ruben Neves season objective card is a fit for most teams as a box-to-box midfielder that can dominate at any level.
2 Learn Some Effective Skill Moves
Seasoned defenders will become very difficult to breakdown if players are refraining from using the skills. At times, even the fastest players in FIFA 21 can feel ineffective in sluggish gameplay.
Of course, football purists will argue that only a small percentage of players use such moves in real-life, but FIFA 21 isn’t a complete simulation experience. In some moments, a simple ball roll can be the difference between completing a pass and getting intercepted by the powerful defensive AI.
1 Don’t Lose Faith After A Bad Weekend
Everybody has them. It’s not uncommon for Elite 1 players and even pros to underperform and go from 30 wins to 26. Bad gameplay, harsh matchmaking, or a simple run of misfortune can leave players feeling deflated and doubting their ability after a weekend where it feels like everything is going against you. Tweak your tactics, but recognize when you’re unlucky. Don’t throw them out and start from scratch. Come back stronger next week.
NEXT: FIFA vs PES: The 10 Best Games Of Either Series
