FIFA 22 FUT players beg EA to bring back relegation
EA made the choice to remove the relegation feature from Division Rivals in FIFA 22 Ultimate Team. Just a few weeks into the new game, though, and stranded players are begging for it to return.
Online modes in FIFA 22 Ultimate Team saw a big overhaul compared to the previous year, in an effort to make them more accessible to the average FIFA player.
Both FUT Champions and Division Rivals have been tweaked, and now require far less time per week to earn valuable packs.
However, the decision to remove relegation from Division Rivals in FIFA 22 is sucking the enjoyment out of the mode for some fans.
In previous years, Division Rivals worked on a skill rating system where players moved up or down after every game depending on the result. A FUT user’s skill rating would determine which division they wound up in, and they would be promoted or relegated if it got high or low enough.
In FIFA 22, EA have adopted a ladder system where players move up one place for every win, and down for each loss.
However, the devs also added checkpoints at the start of each new division, making it impossible to slip below that point no matter games are lost in a row.
While this may seem like a plus for FUT players because they can no longer drop into lower divisions after a bad performance, many are reporting they are getting stuck in high divisions and are unable to win any more games.
Reddit user ASJ_703 posted saying they were “losing enjoyment” playing Rivals because they are “getting smashed” every match in a rank that is too high for them.
Others responded in agreement, with one Division 4 player saying they have abandoned FUT all together because it’s “not worth” the hassle of trying to grind out wins.
Some Redditors argued that this new setup forces players to improve by matching them against more skilled opponents.
However, not everyone felt this was a good approach. “I don’t really care about getting better I just want to have fun,” replied one player. “Kind of hard to have fun or even try when you are getting smashed every game.”
It’s worth noting that at the end of each season – the next of which finishes on November 15, 2021 – Division Rivals resets, and every user is dropped back down to Divison 10 to start over again.
But for now, there’s no doubt that fans are unhappy that they are unable to secure the seven wins needed to earn rewards because they’re stranded in too high a rank.
Fans will be hoping that EA hears their concerns and tweak the format slightly in the next Rivals season, but the publisher is yet to officially respond.
For more on FIFA 22 Ultimate Team, check out our calendar of every promotion this year, as well as the latest Team of the Week.
Image credits: EA