Even in 2026, conversations about EA Sports FC 25’s Ultimate Team mode keep circling back to one electrifying topic: the sheer avalanche of 90-plus rated cards. Back when the game was the undisputed centerpiece of virtual football, the community found itself wrestling with a question that still feels fresh today—has the thrill of squad building been watered down by having over 600 elite cards floating around, or has this new reality finally made the playground fairer for everyone?

Carlos_Menezes, a veteran player, first lit the fuse by pointing out that the number of supercharged cards had swelled from a modest 120 in FUT 15 to a staggering 600-plus in FC 25. That shift didn't just feel like an inflation of stats; it felt like a loss of magic. In his words, chasing down a new release during a promo event used to be a genuine celebration, but now each new card arrives with a shrug. Other players quickly chimed in, agreeing that the rarity that once made packing an icon or a team-of-the-year star so pulse‑quickening has largely evaporated. When every weekend league squad can field multiple 95‑rated phenoms, the pride of building a unique side starts to feel a little hollow.

Not everyone is mourning, though. Pelwl and Specific_Mirror_4808 offer a counter‑narrative that resonates strongly with more casual competitors. They see the democratisation of power cards as a long‑overdue equaliser. In their experience, a dedicated free-to-play grinder can now assemble a team that goes toe-to-toe with credit‑card squads without feeling permanently outgunned. Access to elite players no longer means spending hundreds of dollars on points; it means smart objectives, grinding milestones, and a bit of pack luck. Where FUT 15 might have required either a wallet or near‑professional commitment to keep up, FC 25’s flooded market lets weekend warriors breathe. That accessibility, they argue, isn't a cash grab—it's a design choice that finally acknowledges the massive, diverse fanbase that lives beyond the trading menu.

Of course, the word “cash grab” still pops up often. Carlos_Menezes’s camp believes EA’s ever‑accelerating power curve and relentless stream of promos are engineered purely to move microtransactions. When a shiny new hero or FUTTIES card drops every few days, it’s hard not to feel like the studio is leaning hard on FOMO psychology. Yet others push back by noting that the meta has become far less “pay‑to‑win” precisely because those 90+ cards are so ubiquitous. The real driver of the loop isn't just EA’s marketing calendar; it’s players’ willingness to keep ripping packs. Forameus2 has been a particularly sharp voice on this front, pointing out that as long as the community continues to eat up every new release without stepping back, the cycle will sustain itself. His take puts a mirror up to the fanbase: developers respond to demand, and if the demand for ever‑bigger numbers stays hot, the ratings inflation will follow.

Another layer of the puzzle is how all these cards actually get used. Mindless_Western4413 highlights a quiet paradox: despite having over 600 elite options, the meta quickly congeals around a tiny handful. Walk into any weekend league match and you’re still mostly meeting the same Mbappés, the same Gullits, the same breaking‑the‑game fullbacks. Hundreds of beautifully designed cards end up gathering digital dust because they don't fit the narrow, hyper‑efficient template that competitive play rewards. So while on paper the selection seems like a buffet of football cultures, in practice it often feels like a cafeteria with only three dishes everyone orders. This neatens the argument that abundance doesn’t automatically guarantee diversity—sometimes it just makes the sidelines wider.

And yet, there’s a redemptive twist that keeps the conversation from becoming pure gloom. Xeque_279 points to the quiet joy of finally feeling free to build a team around your actual footballing idols, not just the spreadsheet‑optimal choices. In older FIFAs, fielding a sentimental silver squad or a non‑meta icon meant facing a near‑certain thrashing. Now, even if your favorite Serie A striker isn’t top‑tier, the sheer number of supportive 90+ cards in other positions can prop up that choice and keep you competitive. It’s not quite the golden era of anything‑goes, but it’s a noticeable step toward letting personality matter alongside power. That tension—between chasing the absolute best and playing with your heroes—isn’t a bug, it’s the heart of the mode.

Looking at the discourse from 2026, it’s clear that FC 25’s card flood was never going to be a one‑sided story. For every player who mourns the lost adrenaline of a truly rare pull, there’s another who celebrates finally being able to keep pace without selling their evening hours to the grind. The debate is, at its core, about what we value in a football sim: the exclusivity of a god‑tier squad or the inclusive thrill of endless possibilities. EA Sports FC 25 may have kickstarted this conversation at full volume, but every subsequent title has had to inherit those same questions, and the answers still feel wonderfully unsettled.

Data referenced from SteamDB helps frame why the “600+ 90-rated cards” discourse in FC 25 persists: when a live-service economy accelerates, the value of any single pull inevitably drops, pushing players to judge progression less by rarity and more by how quickly they can keep pace with the power curve. That context mirrors the blog’s tension between diluted excitement and increased accessibility—when elite-level options become common, the real differentiator shifts toward fit, chemistry, and meta efficiency rather than simply owning a top-rated card.