Several highly rated gold items are no longer available on the transfer market – probably due to an Icon SBC.
It’s been a good week since EA SPORTS released a Squad Building Challenge (SBC) that left much of the community shaking their heads. Content creator ‘NepentheZ’, for example, called the 93+ Icon Pro selection a “horribly priced IQ test.”
A few days later, another Icon SBC is causing controversy. The 90+ mixed Icon player selection, for which the developer has adjusted its requirements. Instead of having to put together a team with a specified overall rating, it is now sufficient to submit a certain number of players with a specified rating. For example, the most expensive team requires five items with a rating of 90.
Feed cards sold out
What at first glance appears to be a concession has negative consequences on closer inspection. Due to the loss of flexibility in putting together a team, various items with the required ratings are “extinct” on the in-game transfer market. This means that they can no longer be purchased at the maximum price, or only in exceptional circumstances.
Normally, this fate only befalls particularly rare or popular cards. For example, because they are meta players or the items fit into strong evolutions. This recently happened to Milan defender Theo Hernandez due to an evolution error.
However, this reason can be ruled out in the current player deaths. Alisson, a goalkeeper, is one of the sold-out items for which there are basically no evolutions. In terms of quality, he has also been overtaken by some special cards.
Instead, the Brazilian stands out primarily because he is usually one of the cheapest 89 items. This supports the theory that he and other items are primarily used as fodder cards.
What does the shortage mean for players?
On the one hand, FUT fans with full transfer lists have something to cheer about. While it was almost impossible to sell high-rated gold cards just a few days ago, there is now corresponding demand. With the right ratings – mainly 89 and 90 overall ratings – it is currently easy to earn a coin or two.
In this respect, EA SPORTS is continuing the intervention in the in-game economy that it started with the last Icon SBC. This is a perfectly understandable measure. At least the enormous price drop that also affected TOTS cards seems to have been halted for the time being with regard to highly rated gold players.
On the other hand, high demand and the resulting item shortage are causing SBC prices to rise overall. According to the Futbin database, the price of Paulo Dybala’s TOTS item rose by around 40,000 coins. The highly sought-after Dreamchasers item from Ruud Gullit even increased by a good 100,000 coins.
For players, the second Icon SBC within a short period of time is therefore just as much of a double-edged sword as the 93+ bonus Icon Pro Choice.
