FIFA 23: NEW ICONS AND HEROES CARDS
Now that the release date of FIFA 23 is officially confirmed, EA has already started revealing which players will receive special cards this year in FIFA Ultimate Team, i.e. Icons and FUT Heroes.
What are these cards and what's so special about them? Are these just rumors, or maybe facts already? And, of course, how deep will you have to dip into your pocket? In the following article, we will try to satisfy your curiosity and answer everything that matters most in terms of Icons and FUT Heroes.
WHAT ARE ICONS AND WHY SHOULD YOU HAVE THEM?
In FIFA 23, much like previous editions, Icons will be one of the most wanted to get in the game, as these are football legends who always offer remarkable stats and a show-off of their skills on the pitch. These include players such as Pele, Maradona, Zidane and many others.
Icons are not only a nostalgia touch and mix of stunning stats, but also an effective medicine for getting rid of the headache caused by in-game players' chemistry. In FIFA 22 and earlier editions, these cards offered a regular link to any card, regardless of country or league, as well as the finest green link to any player who shared the same nationality (with FIFA 23, the matter of chemistry with Icons may look different due to a new star system).
In addition, it has become a custom for Icons cards to receive 4 variants of a given card, representing specific stages of their careers. At the beginning of FIFA 23 cycle there will be base and medium versions of Icons, a few months later Prime versions, and finally Icon Moments. The higher the version, the better the stats for a particular card, and with that, more fireworks on the pitch.
Until now, Icon cards could be obtained in packs, by buying them on the transfer market, or by completing given SBCs or Icon Swaps (which involved collecting enough in-game tokens and exchanging them for a given Icon card).
WHAT IS THE GIG OF FUT HEROES?
FUT Heroes are footballers who have not classified themselves as legends according to the EA Sports team. Yet, they are football stars who made a positive mark in the history of their clubs/leagues, or are simply associated with one particular event (Milito from the Champions League final in 2010 and Solskjaer from the Champions Leauge final in 1999 are prime examples).
In FUT 22, FUT Heroes had a unique chemistry for a given league that was tied to a specific moment in footbal history. As a result, any player from the same league as a given hero received a green link, and if those cards were only of the same nationality, the Hero card was linked with a yellow line to another card (with that said, in FIFA 23, the matter of chemistry with FUT Heroes may look different due to a new star system).
And best of all for the entire FUT 22 cycle, some hero cards received 2 or 3 variations of their basic versions, i.e. FUT Heroes Captains and FUT Heroes Shapeshifters (thanks to which a Hero card like Abedi Pele not only received a boost to his stats, but a version of the card with the German league as CAM, and also with the French league as LW)!
In FIFA 22, Ultimate Team mode Heroes could be obtained mainly from packs, as well as from the transfer market and SBCs. In FIFA 23 it will probably be similar, but the cards themselves are supposed to be "progressive" thanks to a new system that EA Sports is going to introduce - at least that's what the rumors say.
WHAT DID THOSE CARDS LOOK LIKE IN FIFA 22?
We could go on endlessly about how a given special card looked, or what features it had, etc. But you will get a better idea by just taking a peek at those cards. That's why we've put together a list with links to FUTBIN website, where you can browse through all FUT Icons and Heroes cards from FIFA 22 Ultimate Team:
We still can't get enough of some of these cards, and we're guessing you can' too. At the time of writing this article, the FUT 22 cycle is coming to a close, making these cards as cheap as ever, and with the FIFA Coins 22 we still have on offer, you can get your hands on more than one of them!
LEAKS FEATURING ICONS & HEROES 23
It was recently confirmed that three FUT Heroes will receive special World Cup cards in FIFA 23, while rumors have been flying around about which retired footballers will broaden the Icons roster (after all, EA Sports tends to add a handful of new Icons for gamers every year).
There are plenty of rumors and speculations in the media, so let's take a look at the most interesting ones:
1. Well-known leaker @DonkTrading says that David Villa and Di Stefano will make it to FIFA 23! David Villa has recently retired, and we expect his card to feature good pace and finishing - similar to Fernando Torres' card, or maybe even better? As for the legendary Di Stefano, he has been the subject of rumors for quite some time, as he made an appearance in database in the first half of the FIFA 22 cycle. Many gamers speculated that he would be added to FUT 22, but that didn't happen. Perhaps EA was sparing his big arrival for the last FIFA in the series?
2. Another dose of information shared by @DonkTrading is the possibility of Gerd Muller and Zico appearing in FUT 23. German football star Gerd Muller has really been waiting a long time for his Icon in the game, and according to the latest leaks, all signs point to the fact that this wait will end soon with FIFA 23. In addition, offensive midfielder Zico is also expected to join the ranks of Icons, and we hope it will be a very good card. After all, hardly any Icons from Brazil are unplayable in Ultimate Team mode.
3. Meanwhile, @FutSheriff showcased a card of Dirk Kuyt, who at one time brilliantly played for Liverpool. Thus, his card will most likely feature the English league and its symbol can be found under the Dutch flag. If the following statistics are confirmed in FIFA 23, it's safe to say that this will be a very decent card for the very beginning of the game.
4. Another leak from Sherif concerns Lucio! The Brazilian has dabbled with more than one big club, as he has played for Bayern Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Inter Milan, among others. It is said that his card will include the symbol of the German league. It is possible that along with the FIFA 23 course, an Italian league version will also be released.
5. In addition to Kuyt and Lucio, it is also said that FUT Heroes cards will also see Diego Simeone (Argentina/LaLiga), Peter Crouch (England/Premier League), John Arne Riise (Norway/Premier League), Rudi Völler (Germany/Bundesliga), Diego Forlán (Uruguay/LaLiga), Rafael Márquez (Mexico/LaLiga).
WHAT SPECIAL CARDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN CONFIRMED?
Three soccer players i.e. Yaya Toure, Park Ji Sung and Ricardo Carvalho have been confirmed by EA, and we will definitely see them in FUT 23. Before this happened, the three were also rumored by leakers, which once again proves their reliability. It looks like the Premier League will get a nice boost at the start thanks to these three.
The next player we will see in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team is none other than Claudio Marchisio, the star of the Old Lady. EA Sports has confirmed his card along with the news of Juventus' return in the last game of the FIFA series. We're curious to see who else will join the roster of the Italian league.
So, as you can see, there will be no shortage of new cards or reasons to collect FUT Coins in FIFA 23. As soon as the WebApp for the new FIFA makes its debut (which should happen shortly before the release), we'll launch our FIFA 23 Coins offer and thanks to attractive prices, you'll be able to get special cards right from the start. All this to help you create the best team possible in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team over time.
We will provide updates on FIFA 23 in separate articles. So if you enjoyed reading this, or want to know more, feel free to check out the other articles on our site:
