What many have suspected for a few years has now been pretty much confirmed. EA just wants to make Clubs a slightly different version of Ultimate Team, where instead of spending money to get better cards, you do it to upgrade your player.
The "brand-new" archetype system that is replacing the skill tree is simply a recycled version of the archetype system we had in FIFA 23, with a few new additions and slight tweaks. But the cherry on top is that players can now buy XP multipliers in clubs to upgrade their characters, adding a glaring pay-to-win element to a game mode that has always been fair-to-play.
Clubs is going down the same road as Ultimate Team
The Ultimate Teamization of Clubs is well underway, and the increasing monetization added to the mode is the main proof of that. Clubs has always been an escape for players who want to enjoy EA FC with their friends, are tired of the Ultimate Team model, and want a more true-to-life experience.
Clubs has never been perfect, matter of fact, it was neglected by EA for a very long time. But honestly, if this is the kind of love EA shows to Clubs and its community, I think it's better to be a neglected son. All EA has done in recent years is slowly prepare the mode for the addition of microtransactions, with the overall gaming experience being the same.
It started with the addition of apparel choices that could be unlocked with FC Points. While I don't agree with that, apparel doesn't affect gameplay and doesn't give players any advantage whatsoever, so it wasn't a big deal. But now, XP multipliers can also be bought with FC points, meaning players can use money to upgrade their players in a faster way.
Yes, you still need to play games for your character to evolve, but XP multipliers mean you don't need to play as many games to get to a certain level. This might not seem game-breaking or such a big deal right now, but it's the precedent it sets that scares me for the future of the mode.
EA isn't going to stop at XP multipliers that can be bought with virtual currency; more monetization options will likely be added in the future. Ultimate Team is the best example of that, as with each year that passes, the mode becomes more pay-to-win.
A world where you need to spend FC Points to be competitive in Clubs, historically the most player-friendly online mode in the EA FC franchise, is not something I want to experience. But unfortunately, it seems like we are going in that direction. And while FC 26 doesn't represent the death of Clubs as we knew it, it certainly plants the seeds for it.
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