Ratings Refresh

At the start of a new FIFA, each player is allocated a rating based on their real-world footballing achievements, talents and level. Now as you all probably know, just because a player had a fantastic season the previous year, this certainly doesn't mean this form will always continue and hence ratings can feel unrealistic at times. This is the reason EA introduced their "Ratings Refresh".  Usually EA runs Rating Refresh mid February.

During this article, we will discuss exactly what this consists of, how the changes affect both current and new cards and we will then be releasing predictions around upcoming rating increases and decreases! Keep in mind, we are using the same system that EA used in the previous year, therefore everything is based around that structure. If they were to change this system, then the examples and predictions would change alongside this. 
 

Non-Inform Cards (NIF) 

Players who have had a particularly impressive season will receive a brand-new NIF card in packs with an increased rating, while those who have been extremely lack-luster will receive new NIF cards with reduced ratings. 

For example: 

Player A had a solid season last year scoring 12 goals and was therefore given an 82-rated NIF card this year in FIFA. So far this season Player A has really improved their game, they have already scored 14 goals and have been an incredibly valuable asset to the team. Due to this consistent improvement, EA decide to refresh their rating and a new 82-rated NIF card is released into packs while the older 82-rated NIF card is removed. 

Player B had an incredible season last year, scoring 30 goals and helping his team win the title. Based on this incredible display last year an 87-rated NIF card was awarded to the player. This year however they are really struggling to find their feet and at the halfway mark in the season they have only found the back of the net 9 times and have often gone missing during games. Due to this change in form, EA decide to refresh their rating and a new 85-rated NIF card is released into packs while the older 87-rated NIF card is removed. 

It is important to remember that previous copies of NIF cards will NOT be removed from the game, cards you currently own will remain the same, they will simply not appear in packs anymore and hence instantly become a lot rarer. 

Inform Cards (IF) and Other Special Cards

Over the past few months, since the release of FIFA 18, players have been receiving special cards through events such as TOTW. These cards not only have a beautiful design with a dynamic picture, but they also provide boosted stats along with a higher overall rating when compared to their regular NIF cards. So, what happens to these special cards if a player receives a rating boost? Will they immediately drop in value as their new NIF card is suddenly just as good? Luckily for us, the answer here is no. Players who currently have a special card who then receive a boost from this refresh, will also see their special card receiving a boost. 

Upgrade example: 

Player A has had a fantastic season so far. Their NIF card is 82-rated, their first inform is 84-rated and their second inform is 86-rated. EA announce that Player A will be receiving a +2 increase to his NIF card, moving it up to 84-rated overall. From this point we calculate the ratings on these special cards, using the NIF rating of 84 as our starting point. The 84 rated inform moves up to an 86-rated card, while the 86-rated card increases to an 87-rated one. This ensures that nobody loses any value based on these refreshes. Here is an example using Sterling’s potential +2 Upgrade. EA would issue a new 84-rated NIF card and upgrade both of his informs like this:
 

Downgrade example:

Player B has had a really poor season so far, despite an inform from his very first game, they have really disappointed during all other matches. Due to this, EA decides to provide a –1 rating during the refresh, changing their 82-rated NIF into an 81-rated NIF card. As we mentioned before, Player B currently has an inform which is 84-rated, but luckily for us the refresh on their NIF card has absolutely no effect on any cards currently in the game. Nothing here changes except for the rating of the players NIF cards available in packs. 

How These Changes Can Affect the Player base 

When a player receives a new rating during this event, the prices of their other cards will change accordingly. If the player receives a new NIF with an improved rating, it is likely the price of their older card will drop a little while if they receive a new NIF with a decreased rating, their older card will likely rise. These changes are simply due to supply and demand, the cards with the most impressive stats will be in higher demand and hence carry a premium price tag. 

For Example: 

Player A has an 82-rated NIF card and during the rating refresh they receive a +2 upgrade. Suddenly their new 84-rated card is the only one available in packs and due to the rating still being fairly low, this card is packed a lot. Over a short period of time this 84-rated card will offer a very affordable upgrade to the 82-rated card and hence the 82-rated card will drop in price. 

Player B has an 84-rated NIF card and during the rating refresh they receive a –2 downgrade. Now that the only card available in packs is an 82-rated one, this 84-rated card immediately carries a premium price-tag. The older card is no longer available and hence supply is limited which will likely cause the price to increase over time. 

Player C has an 88-rated NIF card and during the rating refresh they receive a +1 upgrade. Higher tier cards already carry a hefty price tag and due to their use for both teams and SBC's they can never really fall that far. If anything, the 88-rated NIF will see a small increase in price overtime due to the limited availability and possible uses it provides. 

Player D has an 88-rated NIF card and during the rating refresh they receive a –2 downgrade. This scenario follows the same principal as Player B. The card instantly becomes a lot rarer while the demand remains consistent or even increases. In this situation we can expect the 88-rated card to rise in price. 

Player E has an 82-rated NIF card and an 84-rated IF card. During the rating refresh they receive a +2 upgrade. Thanks to this upgrade on their NIF card, the IF also sees a boost. Suddenly an 84-rated inform becomes an 86-rated inform and hence immediately carries a larger price tag. These are great possible investments if you can correctly predict upgrades and invest at a solid price. 

Player F has an 84-rated NIF card and an 86-rated IF card. During the rating refresh they receive a –2 downgrade. The inform card has no change to stats and hence is very unlikely to change in price. 

Predictions 

For the next few days we will be releasing our Rating Refresh Predictions, based on career mode and the changes we can visibly see in game already! Make sure you follow FUTBIN on twitter and also keep your eyes peeled on the News section for updates.