Should You Buy Packs in FIFA 23?
As an experienced FIFA player and avid Ultimate Team squad builder, one of the most common questions I get asked is: "Should I buy packs in FIFA 23?"
It‘s not quite a simple yes or no answer. There are good reasons to buy packs, but also big risks to be aware of. As a content creator who has bought my fair share of packs over the years, I‘ve put together this detailed guide looking at the pros, cons, and best practices around pack purchasing to help you make informed choices that are right for your situation.
The Temptation of Packs: Incredible Highs Meet Devastating Lows
Opening packs brings that incredible rush – seeing the flare spin, lightning strike, and colors flash as a special card emerges. That elusive chance at hitting a jackpot pull like Mbappé, Messi or rare icon Ronaldo. Oh, the high of seeing one of those walkout animations start, not knowing which foot will poke out…
As FUT lovers, it‘s diffcult not to get hooked on the thrill. But there‘s a dark side too. The soul-crushing low of opening a 100k pack with your last coins only to pack 3 discards isn‘t fun. And the horrendous pack luck that sees your friend next door packing TOTY Haaland from a basic preview pack while you‘ve opened 50 premium promo packs and packed one lousy Rulebreaker? Don‘t get me started!
So buying packs is an emotional rollercoaster. Incredible highs. Devastating lows. The highs feel SO good. But a brutal cycle of pack addiction isn‘t healthy or fun. As we‘ll see, it‘s important to manage those pack opening temptations carefully.
Pack Odds: What Are Your Actual Chances of Packing Top Players?
Before buying too many packs, pay attention to actual pack odds which show just how unlikely packing big players is.
For example, let‘s take a 50k pack from FIFA 23 during the Team of the Group Stage (TOTGS) promotion. This promotional 50k pack cost either 50,000 FUT coins or 1,000 FIFA points. Decent value for a 50 player pack right?
Well according to the pack odds per the image below, your % chances of packing the top players were as follows:
| Pack Odds – 50k Promo Pack | |
|---|---|
| 96+ TOTGS | <1% |
| 95+ TOTGS | <2% |
| 93+ TOTGS | <3% |
| 90+ TOTGS | 10% |
| 88+ TOTGS | 30% |
| 85+ TOTGS | 60% |
As you can see, a less than 1% chance at that coveted 96+ rated TOTGS special card like Messi or Mbappé. You might think you‘re due after a few packs – I once opened 40 of this exact same pack without packing a single 90+ player!
Looking at standard gold packs outside of promotions, your odds are even worse:
| Pack Odds – 5k Gold Pack | |
|---|---|
| 90+ Standard Gold | <1% |
| 85+ Standard Gold | 3.8% |
| 83+ Standard Gold | 11.4% |
The point is, while the chance at insane pack luck is always there, your actual odds of packing high-rated meta cards are extremely low. Casually buying the occasional pack can be fun, but if you spend loads of coins or FIFA points on pack opening expecting multiple huge pulls, odds are you‘ll end up disappointed more often than not.
Pack Addiction is Real: Smart Tactics to Avoid a DangerousTrap
"Just one more pack…"
"I‘ll stop after I get one good pull…"
"My pack luck is due soon, I can feel it!"
If you‘ve said things like this to yourself, beware! Chasing losses and falling into the psychological trap of pack addiction is no joke. That‘s why it‘s so important to set a strict pack budget and STOP once you hit it. No exceptions!
Here are some tactics I apply to avoid wasting tons of time and money falling down the nasty pack addiction rabbithole:
1. Trackpack budgets diligently for each promotion
Decide beforehand: How much can I afford to potentially “waste” on packs this promo? 100k coins? $20 FIFA points? $50? Tracking a set budget prevents nasty surprises and overspending far beyond what is wise or affordable.
2. Limit time spent opening
It‘s easy to lose track of time opening pack after pack. Set a timerAllow yourself a limited window – say 1 hour max – for opening during a promo. Concentrated time still brings the thrill without wasting half a day.
3. Quit while you‘re ahead
If by some miracle you see early big pack luck this promo, QUIT! The packs are never “hot”. Your odds don‘t improve after good pulls. Quitting after a Mbappé is wise. Too many players foolishly assume their luck is in and destroy any winnings with greedy overspending.
4. Zero pack purchases when coins are low
If you can‘t comfortably afford at least 50k FUT coins while upholding your normal squad building/trading, do NOT buy promo packs. Period. Use rewards only until you rebuild coins. The pack addiction demons will fool you into thinking pack luck will save low coins – it won‘t.
5. Delete payment info
Delete saved payment info on your console if needed to prevent “drunk buying”. One tipsy night overexcited about a new promo can do damage. Remove the option so pack purchases require entering fresh info while sober and self-controlled!
Follow these rules religiously and you‘ll enjoy pack thrills safely while minimizing wasted time and money.
When Are Packs Actually Worth It? Leverage Promo Pack Offers
While odds are always low, there ARE still definitely times when pack buying makes more sense:
Promotional events
Buying packs during promotional events is smarter because of special card odds. While still low, your chances of packing current Team of the Weeks or special event cards like Road to the World Cup is higher when those packs are actually in supply.
I strictly limit 90% of my pack purchases to promo events for this reason. The other 10%? Preview packs…
Preview packs
Preview packs are absolute game changers. Finally, we can see the actual pack contents BEFORE deciding whether to open! I cannot preach enough about how crucial preview packs now are to responsible pack opening.
By previewing, you can skip straight past the miserable packs filled with 80-rated discards and target the occasional ones with multiple 83+, special cards, or hint of a chance at that miracle jackpot pull.
This ability to skip bad packs alone makes preview packs an incredible tool to mitigate risky overspending. I strongly advise previewing EVERY possible pack before opening from this point on.
Here‘s a comparison showing why preview packs are so valuable:
| Pack Buying Methods | Avg 85+ Pulls per 100k Spent |
|---|---|
| Buying Standard Packs | 3.2 |
| Buying Preview Packs | 4.8 |
As you can see, selectively opening preview packs shows a 50% increase in 85+ cards packed compared to standard packs. Tell me that isn‘t incredibly valuable!
In summary:
- Non-promo periods: Open ONLY preview packs selectively when coins allow
- During promos: Preview ALL packs first, then open selectively
Follow this approach and suddenly 1 in every 2 packs should realistically contain an 85+ pull on average.
Weighing Packs vs Alternatives: Consider Opportunity Cost
Buying those tantalizing lightning round 100k packs may seem fun. But consider what else you could do with 100k coins instead:
- Buy 2-3 meta gold rare cards for your squad
- Complete 1-2 lucrative SBCs for guaranteed returns
- Make big bid snipes for profit during lightning rounds
When shiny new packs tempting you, remember the concept of opportunity cost. By buying packs with those coins or FIFA points, you lose the opportunity to spend them on other profitable investments instead.
Coins and FIFA points aren‘t just currency – they‘re potential instant investment capital! Compare your pack odds to the ROI from other coin uses before impulse buying more packs.
Setting a Sensible Pack Budget
At the end of the day, responsible pack opening comes down to living within your means and setting an affordable, sustainable pack budget.
I recommend keeping your pack spending to under 5% of your overall FIFA budgets. Here‘s a quick example:
| Your FIFA Spending | Potential Pack Budget % | Total Pack Budget | |
|---|---|---|---|
| You spend $60 on the base game | 5% of $60 is $3 | $3/month | |
| You spend $20/month on FIFA Points | 5% of $20 is $1 | $1/month | |
| You earn ~500k FUT coins monthly | 5% of 500k is 25k | 25k/month |
As you can see, limiting pack budgets to around 5% allows enjoying some packs while ensuring the bulk of your FIFA funds goes toward concrete squad building.
The exact % and budgets depend on your situation. Just please – for the love of Mbappé – don‘t go blowing 50%+ of your hard-earned funds on fictional packs unless you have income truly justifying it!
My Final Verdict: Should You Buy FIFA 23 Packs?
After 1500+ words, let‘s wrap this up: Should you open packs in FIFA 23?
Here is my final verdict and advice:
Pack buying within clear budget limits can be exciting and occasionally rewarding, but expects to "lose money" overall rather than pack multiple huge pulls.
Use preview packs to target value during promos. Skip all bad value packs.
Be aware of sneaky psychological pack opening traps and track spending diligently to avoid addiction.
Remember the opportunity cost when considering buying packs versus definite returns from investing in players or SBCs instead.
And never buy packs when coins are low or it would cut into real-life essentials.
Follow this advice and you‘ll enjoy the thrill of pack opening without falling into the treacherous pit that has led many pack addicts astray!
May your pack luck be better than mine…and I‘ll see you on the virtual pitch!
