FUT IN REVIEW

Seven years ago it started with two guys and a stack of Futties cards. Tonight it's episode 750.

John is joined by co-founder Ingve and Chris for a trip down memory lane: no FC talk, just nostalgia. Who called which promo "the worst ever" (spoiler: it's usually Chris, and it's usually Team of the Year), the night Messi Gate broke the game, which of our predictions aged well and which aged terribly, and a quiz to see how well the hosts remember their own show.

Plus the numbers: 847 published episodes, 627 hours of FUT talk, every host's appearance count, the mystery of the lost episodes 3 & 4, and our predictions for episode 1000.

🙏 THANK YOU
750 episodes. Over 600 hours. Countless late nights, three mixers, dozens of microphones and more Team of the Year rants than we'd like to admit. None of it happens without you. To everyone who listens, watches, comments, joins us on Discord, supports us on Patreon or sends the occasional angry DM: thank you. Whether this is your 7th episode or your 700th, you're the reason we keep pressing record.
If you enjoy the show, share it with one friend or leave us a review. It helps more than you think.

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⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 Welcome to episode 750
03:17 Guess who said "worst promo ever"
07:23 Why Chris hates Team of the Year
07:53 Level Up & Movember: forgotten promos
10:26 Messi Gate: our only emergency show
14:59 Predictions: who was right?
19:12 Is the game dead?
20:17 Halftime: 750 episodes in numbers
22:32 The lost episodes 3 & 4
23:50 Longest, shortest & Messi vs Ronaldo
26:12 Every host, counted
31:02 Dynamic duos
31:40 Quiz: who said it?
37:58 Predictions for episode 1000
41:36 Thank you & drop it

#EAFC27 #FC27 #UltimateTeam #FUT #FUTInReview

Is your account cursed? Thousands of you think so. EA say pack luck doesn't exist. In episode 749 of FUT In Review, GPM is joined by Mr FIFA Database himself, Ingve, and pack luck legend Homer to run the actual maths, and you might not like how many packs it really takes to pull that one meta card.
IN THIS EPISODE
- The October gameplay dev notes: what Title Update 1.2.0 (mid-November) changes to fullback positioning, offside awareness, attacking runs, kick-off goals and loose-ball switching
- Why EA can't "just fix" 95 depth yet, straight from the devs' Discord Q&A
- Is the 4-3-1-2 really the only formation, or is EA's data right?
- Ultimate Scream 2: the prices, the boosts, and whether EA's slower power curve is actually good for the community
- What's a fair price for McTominay? Plus the Reinders SBC and the Carlos Augusto showdown
- Pack Luck: Myth or Maths? EA's official stance, the real odds, and our pack superstitions (yes, including Ingve's lucky iPad)
THE MATHS
- 10% odds: 7 packs for a 50% chance, 22 packs for 90%
- 2.9% odds: 24 packs for 50%, almost 80 for 90%
- 1% odds: 69 packs for 50%, 230 packs for 90%
Packs are a lottery. Set a budget and don't chase losses.
Welcome back to Hippo, and huge congratulations to Gareth on the arrival of two new squad battlers!
OUR SPONSORS
NordVPN: 75% off plus 4 extra months free on a 2-year plan at futinreview.com/vpn with code FUTINREVIEW. 30-day money-back guarantee.
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Both have extra Black Friday deals live now.
JOIN THE CLUB
Patreon (Discord access + the Tuesday Bonus Club show): patreon.com/futinreview
Tell us your best and worst pack story in the comments. Do you have a ritual? And if you enjoyed the show, a five-star review helps us a lot.
#EAFC27 #FC27 #UltimateTeam #FUT #FUTInReview

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John, Ingve, John K, and Graeme break down the return of Ultimate Scream, but the conversation quickly expands into a bigger debate about the game’s power curve, pack weight, and whether EA’s current design is actually healthier for Ultimate Team. They also dig into player motivation, comparing win-chasing, meta-chasing, and simply playing for fun.In this episode, the panel also weighs in on token objectives, SBC value, maintenance timing, and how much the current community meta is shaping the way people enjoy the game.

00:01 - Ultimate Scream returns with 99-rated face stat boosts
00:54 - Introducing the full panel and setting up the episode
03:10 - What Ultimate Scream brings this year, including tokens and Rush events
05:07 - John K explains burnout, objectives, and why the game can feel like a chore
07:00 - Ingve on stepping back when the game stops being fun
09:49 - Graham on pack luck, low blocks, and decompression
11:27 - John’s broader take on gameplay balance and the need for a pity timer
13:22 - What a pity timer is and how it could work in packs and rewards
16:03 - Why the current tactical meta may actually be healthy
18:04 - The mental spiral of losing and then reading the stats through a negative lens
18:55 - Formation variety and why the game still feels tactically open
20:05 - Why many players copy the meta instead of trying something different
21:23 - Winning versus playing attractive football, in game and in real life
22:22 - Why some players prefer playing their own way even if it means fewer wins
23:38 - Dribbling advice and how to beat narrow, high-depth setups
24:59 - NordVPN and Saily mentions, then back to Ultimate Scream tokens
27:05 - Token store rewards, including evolutions, packs, and the Veron hero
28:29 - Retro cosmetics and whether the token rewards feel strong enough
29:28 - Graham’s view on the heroes, evolutions, and grind level
30:36 - How many tokens may be available and how objectives appear to be structured
33:41 - Clarifying token rewards from SBCs and objectives
35:33 - Why the token puzzle completionist objective is actually useful
37:11 - Ingve on the 50,000-gem SBC and why it is not worth it for him
38:27 - Graham on the stronger cards in the promo and why most still won’t make his team
39:29 - Standout cards like Stam and the top-heavy nature of the promo
40:50 - Day-one prices, expected drops, and why Ronaldo is still out of reach
41:41 - Would you sell Ronaldo for 10 million coins? Everyone says yes
42:03 - How the 99 face stat boosts could keep elite cards expensive
43:22 - Why the objectives and token grind give the promo extra value
44:28 - Complaints about maintenance timing and the lack of advance notice
46:17 - EA, other game publishers, and how scheduled maintenance is handled elsewhere
47:15 - Why every maintenance leads to shadow patch theories in the community
47:44 - Wrap-up, show schedule, and next episode timing

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Four hosts jump into a fast-moving panel on the state of FUT, focusing on grind versus fun, AI defending, evolutions, and the new SBC system. The discussion is driven by hot takes and timed reactions, with John, Homer, John K, and Ingve each bringing a different perspective on what feels rewarding, what feels punishing, and what EA may need to change.
00:00 — New four-person panel format and the return of Ingve
01:03 — Ingve’s background, health update, and FUT history
02:03 — How the hot-take format and timed rounds will work
03:12 — Topic 1: FUT feels like a second job
04:20 — Why grinding every objective can ruin the experience
05:23 — Small upgrades and why the game can still feel unrewarding
07:12 — Objectives versus packs: predictable rewards win
08:17 — Why Gauntlet and squad depth make grinding harder
09:14 — Club depth and why Evo teams struggle
11:30 — Final take on grind versus fun
11:56 — Topic 2: AI defending and whether removing it was EA’s best change
12:36 — Fullbacks drifting wide, penalties, and defensive AI issues
14:13 — More goals, but less realism
15:24 — Why less AI help rewards better players
16:29 — The downside for players who keep losing
17:40 — Matchmaking and balance concerns
19:11 — Manual defending and the lack of in-game instruction
19:49 — Stronger manual tackles and the auto-offside problem
21:21 — Final verdict on AI defending
22:48 — Topic 3: Are Evolutions viable for casual players?
24:47 — Why Evo cards are behind the power curve
25:53 — Why themed Evo squads still struggle competitively
27:27 — Can Evolutions catch up?
29:24 — A better model for lower-league and favorite players
31:38 — Why current Evo rules can feel like a coin sink
32:37 — Ideas for faster modes, cosmetics, and shorter matches
34:05 — Topic 4: Old SBCs versus the new gem-based system
35:01— Ingve on losing pack rewards
36:03 — John K on the speed and simplicity of the new system
37:03 — Homer on chemistry stress and transfer-market abuse
38:45 — Why high-rated fodder still limits access
42:17 — Why SBC value is harder to judge
43:42 — Cherry-picking the best SBCs
45:12 — Outro and where to find the show