FC 25 Shapeshifters Week 3: Goalies Go Offensive, SBCs a Mixed Bag
2025-07-07 09:37
FC 25's Shapeshifters event has entered its third week, and this week's SBCs and card pool have received mixed reactions. While overall pack luck remains frustratingly low, the emergence of some "mutated" cards, particularly innovative goalkeeper transformations, has added a fresh layer of fun to the game.
SBC Review: Surprises and Gripes
Last week's SBC performance was considered the best since the Shapeshifter event began, primarily due to two free goalkeeper-turned-forward cards: Cech and Yashin. Although some players weren't entirely thrilled with these cards, their unique mutation mechanism (goalkeeper to center forward) offered novel gameplay experiences. Yashin, in particular, garnered more positive feedback.
Beyond the goalkeepers, the Vulture card also received high praise. While its mutation wasn't as radical, its in-game feel was excellent, blending dribbling and playmaking abilities. Some players even found success deploying it in midfield.
However, the SBC's pricing structure drew significant criticism. Many mutated cards, such as Vulture and Berbatov, required substantial "purification" fees after the initial SBC completion, ranging from 300,000 to 400,000 FUT coins. Completing all of them in a single day could cost over 1,000,000 FUT coins. Berbatov's expensive purification fee was particularly frustrating, with many players feeling his in-game value didn't justify the cost, preventing them from experiencing the card.
The Baggio card, on the other hand, was deemed a major flop in this SBC batch, even perceived as a "malicious" design choice by the developers. Despite Baggio mutating into a winger, his agility and balance remained extremely low, resulting in a clunky feel that failed to compensate for his small build, leaving many players disappointed.
Evolution Plans: FUTTIES Cards and Wide Playmakers
Most of last week's evolution plans were linked to SBCs. Among them, the "FUTTIES Card Evolution" had mixed reviews. Its biggest drawbacks were the 500,000 FUT coin cost and the lengthy 20-day waiting period. Although its strength could reach FUTTIES card levels, the extended acquisition time deterred many players. Furthermore, the evolution plan's premature end meant some interested players missed out.
The "Wide Playmaker" evolution gained attention for allowing Thunder Vieira to evolve once more. After evolving, Vieira's dribbling and finishing significantly improved, and combined with his speed and specific traits, he could become a formidable ball-winning midfielder. Additionally, some evolution plans this week enabled players to mutate into wide positions, which is beneficial for players building specific team-themed squads that need to fill gaps on the flanks.
Card Pool Status and Player Analysis
This week's card pool was generally lackluster, with continued low pack rates. However, a few cards did spark player interest:
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Salma: Considered the most anticipated card this week. As a popular card from the initial release, she finally received a top-tier dynamic version. The immense potential of the Spanish Women's National Team, coupled with her ultimate form (Legendary nationality, 5-star skill moves, 5-star weak foot, 97 overall, five gold traits) upon winning the World Cup, made her highly sought after.
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Black Panther: Though difficult to acquire, his transformation from a controlling target man to a winger was a pleasant surprise. Boasting top-tier stats and traits like 5-star weak foot, Finesse Shot, and Low Driven Shot, he's considered one of the strongest wingers this week, evoking memories of the powerful Shapeshifters Eto'o from previous iterations.
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Reiten: A highly cost-effective left-footed left-winger from the women's game. Her affordable price and the Norwegian Women's National Team's potential for upgrades make her an excellent and unique option in that position.
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Foden: Mutated into a left-back, Foden, while not top-tier in strength, offers excellent dribbling feel, improved defending, strength, and finishing. With solid passing, he's seen as a "fun" card to use.
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Diallo: A card for Manchester United fans. As a left-footed left-winger, his traits and stats are decent, and his mutated nature gives him some collection value.
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Crouch: A mutated goalkeeper. His tall model and practical save traits make him a high-priority choice for a full Shapeshifters squad. His passing traits also add an interesting dimension to his gameplay.
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Guendouzi (Geyou): As a central defensive midfielder, his Intercept and Racoon defensive traits, combined with excellent passing, finishing, speed, and dribbling, make him a complete and strong midfielder. The potential of the French Women's National Team also hints at future upgrades.
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Dybala: Mutated into a defensive midfielder. Despite lacking defensive traits, his rare left-footed midfield profile and playmaking ability as a deep-lying playmaker make him a valuable, cost-effective option. However, the absence of the "Battery" trait is considered his biggest letdown, limiting his performance in the latter stages of matches.
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Harder: A dynamic card with a low price and some upgrade potential. Featuring practical finishing traits and outside-of-the-foot shots, she offers good value for a dynamic card at her price point.
Most Disappointing Cards
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Dybala: While his defensive midfield mutation had potential, the lack of the "Battery" trait disappointed players regarding his stamina and late-game impact.
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Casillas: Expectations for his mutated card were high given his stellar performance as a Team of the Year goalkeeper. However, his 85 defending stat after mutating into a midfielder was deemed insufficient. Even with a Shadow chemistry style, his standing tackle couldn't reach 90, leading to poor defensive performance and a feeling of "malicious intent" from the developers.
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Pulisic: His ambiguous positioning and mismatched traits made him neither strong nor weak, and even arguably "very bad". He represents a broader issue with the design logic of some cards in this week's Shapeshifters pool.
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Mané: While his strength is top-tier, the fact that this is likely one of the last Mané cards in this iteration of the game, only having a 4-star weak foot and not being a dynamic card, left some nostalgic fans disappointed.
Conclusion
This week's Shapeshifters event card pool was generally uninspired, but innovative goalkeeper transformations and the appearance of standout cards like Salma and Black Panther still offered some enjoyment for players. However, steep evolution fees and shortcomings in some key cards drew player dissatisfaction. As the event nears its end, players are hoping for a grand return of more highly-rated Shapeshifters cards in the final week to make up for this week's disappointments.
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