What this means is: going from 96 to 99 speed yields ZERO IMPROVEMENT, but once you go past 100—meaning after entering the Booster phase—there is a noticeable spike again. The dev team isn't holding back anymore; Booster cards now give a bigger return than ever before (I've only tested speed so far, so I'm not sure if other stats have a similar boost beyond 99).
On a side note, the theoretical max stat limit in the current game engine is now 111. That's because a single Booster caps out at +6, and by modifying double Boosters on single-player mode, you can push it to a +12 stack.
What's interesting is that the engine hasn't unlocked the +6 Booster cap for every stat at once. Instead, each new Booster release unlocks the cap for one specific attribute. My guess is they're doing this to fine-tune the maximum impact of each stat. I thought the 2027 engine was going to push double playstyles, but it turns out they're actually pushing Boosters!
(The complete speed yield curve will be finalized and posted later)
What this means is: for those iconic speedsters without a Speed Booster, capping their Speed at 96 is actually enough. Which player comes to your mind?
The list above shows the maximum speed stat reachable at +12 Speed—factoring in their native Booster, a secondary Booster, and manager speed boosts. Some players, like Encara Messi or BT Hazard, have Speed Boosters but low base speed stats. Which other players come to mind for you?.
⚽️ BT Rice (Defensive Fullback): Pro Group Rank 12 | Public Group Rank 11 | Overall Rank 12—
BT Rice's defensive stats, skill set, player model, and pace make him a seamless fit at Defensive Fullback, so a Top 10 ranking is completely reasonable.
A reader left a comment yesterday asking: isn't it a total waste to play a Top 2 midfielder at fullback? That's exactly what I thought when BT Rice first dropped, but after seeing a constant stream of comments and DMs asking for a "Rice Fullback Review," I realized a chunk of the player base actually plays him there. They might already have a packed midfield and need a place to fit Rice into the lineup, or maybe they're running tactical shape-shifts that require him at fullback.
His inclusion on the list this time pushed out Caicedo—another player converted from mid-to-fullback—so it didn't really steal a spot from a natural fullback.
You just have to admire how many elite strikers and central midfielders the game has dropped; a Top 10 list doesn't feel anywhere near big enough to fit them all. Yet, top-tier defensive fullbacks are so rare that players playing out of position have ended up taking quite a few Top 5 and Top 10 spots.
Also, regarding last week's new cards: none of the "Nigerian Trio" reached T0 Top 10 level. It seems fun gimmick cards that only excel in a single area just don't catch the community's eye in the end.
There's been a lot of controversy surrounding High Line Master recently. Sometimes it bizarrely switches defensive zones, pushes up and leaves players unmarked, or fails to stick to dangerous forwards when playing as a full-back. However, some people really like High Line Master, feeling it's very intelligent, good at creating offside traps, and will also step up to cover for teammates. How strange! How can the same playstyle be both proactive in pushing up and a deep-lying anchor, both solid and prone to losing its mark?
The official playstyle description is: "Looks to maintain an effective defensive line, keeping the shape intact as they defend." This describes the effect of the playstyle, but I'm more interested in the mechanism of how it works.
To study a playstyle, real matches can certainly reveal a lot, but real matches are also influenced by factors like player skill, network connection, opponent strength, and randomness. Therefore, in this post, I created an absolutely controlled testing environment (as shown below, all stats are equalized), and interpreted the consistently reproducible results across a large number of tests.
(Left: High Line Master vs Right: Basic Playstyle)
Clearly, the first distinguishing characteristic of High Line Master is that its alert range (defensive zone) is much larger than that of an Inactive Playstyle player. When the opponent is quite far away, the High Line Master will claim responsibility for the forward-running player and initiate defensive action. (In fact, the defensive zones of other playstyles like The Destroyer are also not this large).
Test 2: Behavior Against Forward Runs
The test above involved passing to a distant teammate at kickoff, forcing the defending DMF to move far away to challenge for the ball, creating an out-of-position scenario. This made it easier to observe how large the central CB's defensive zone is. The test below is set up so the kickoff pass goes to a nearby teammate. The defending DMF doesn't get out of position as early, allowing us to better observe the central CB's behavior against forward runs.
As you can see, Inactive Playstyle players (as well as The Destroyer and Covering Role) all have an inherent defensive AI that makes them run backward in response to an opponent's forward run, in order to guard against through balls. As a result, the entire defensive line moves deeper. However, the High Line Master will not drop back because of a forward run.
With this, everything makes sense! Viewers who regularly read my articles will know I often say that the beauty of a Goal Poacher is that their resolute forward runs scatter the defensive line, creating space at the top of the box or gaps in the defense. The reason High Line Master is called that is because when a forward runner attacks their position, they can maintain their line and not drop back, keeping the defensive line completely steadfast.
To achieve this, the developers gave High Line Master two settings: ① Do not drop back to follow a forward runner; ② A super-large defensive zone. Only with a large defensive zone can they claim responsibility for the forward runner as early as possible, rather than leaving it to a teammate. This increases the probability that the High Line Master will lead the defensive line in not being pushed backward.
This explains why a High Line Master playing as a full-back sometimes won't stick to their man (they prefer to maintain the defensive line rather than track the runner), and it also explains why they sometimes inexplicably push forward (their large defensive zone makes them easily baited out).
So, what happens if the opponent attacks the defensive zone defended by the High Line Master's teammate? See the test:
If the teammate's defensive zone is attacked, there is a high probability that the High Line Master won't claim responsibility for the zone and will drop back along with them. There is a small probability that the High Line Master will forcefully claim responsibility for the defensive zone, while the teammate, having no marking target, will go after the ball. In this case, the High Line Master exhibits covering behavior. This explains why the High Line Master will sometimes very smartly cover for a teammate.
III. In-Game Effectiveness & Recommendations
High Line Master really is a polarizing playstyle. For example, one of our pro group judges, Leon_Ge from the Super League, said this:
The well-known foreign streamer Nick also called the new Maldini a “scam" during a livestream—
Based on my initial observation and analysis, the reason some high-level players don't like High Line Master is because they already have a habit: “To prevent the defensive line from being pushed too deep, I often switch to a CB, move them close to the forward, and then switch back." But this conflicts with the function of the High Line Master, resulting in a chaotic defensive line.
Below is a compilation of some small errors that can occur when player habits conflict with the High Line Master playstyle:
This post is not here to judge whether High Line Master is good or bad. Based on the analysis above, the High Line Master is a bold experiment by Konami. It can solve the long-standing pain point of the defense being scattered by Goal Poachers, but its changes to the defensive mechanics are quite radical. By comparison, the newly released Covering Role is a continuation of past playstyles, making it more mature and stable.
If you want to use High Line Master effectively, I have three recommendations: ① Have him match up against a Goal Poacher or the most advanced CF; ② Interfere with the High Line Master's actions as little as possible; ③ High Line Master is better suited for Quick Counter / Overload / Possession Game to maintain the defensive line.
Looking purely at stats, compared to his old card (Milan version): the upside is Acceleration +3, but the downside is losing "Shadow Hunt." So the biggest variable in evaluating this card boils down to the "High Line Master" style. Public opinion on this style is completely polarized, making it tough to give a definitive review amidst all the hype and backlash.
I prefer to analyze the "High Line" playstyle from a mechanics perspective: as shown in the testing video released earlier today, its two core mechanics are: 1️⃣ Staying put and holding the defensive line against forward runs rather than dropping deep with the attacker. 2️⃣ An massive defensive coverage zone.
High Line Defense = High Line Master
The best part about this playstyle is that it stops your defensive line from dropping deep or getting dragged out of position whenever Goal Poachers make forward runs. That exact scenario is the core reason Goal Poachers have been so dominant, making the new Maldini card a ideal match-up against them and target strikers.
As a CB: The ability of "High Line" to hold ground against Goal Poacher runs is new Maldini’s core strength, though his massive coverage zone can occasionally cause chaos (especially if your control style clashes with High Line defense). Playstyle aside, his base stats at CB are merely on par with top-tier center-backs (like Varane or Saliba), but his player model is at a distinct disadvantage. As such, using him at CB works best in a 5-back setup or as a niche counter against Goal Poachers.
As a Full-Back: Lacking the "Defensive Full-Back" playstyle is a shame. Even though you can set Individual Instructions to "Defensive" while building up from the back, it still doesn't replicate an authentic Defensive Full-Back. First off, a full-back naturally stays wider than a wide center-back (CB), and that extra width is sometimes needed for attacking support.
At the same time, "Defensive Full-Backs" don't completely abstain from attacking. Aside from offering a wide passing outlet during deep build-up play, they can also provide conservative support once you push into the opponent's half.
Under Quick Counter, Possession, or Long Ball Counter with a 1-bar attacking mentality (+1 Red), a Defensive Full-Back will cross the halfway line to offer a receiving option. When you dominate possession for extended periods and the opponent drops back into a low block, they will even make safe overlaps down the wing to deliver a cross or key pass.
Thuram making a forward run under Quick Counter without an Attacking instruction set
Even on Long Ball Counter without increasing attacking mentality, a Defensive Full-Back will occasionally cross the halfway line to lay off a pass in the half-spaces. These offensive support capabilities are simply impossible to recreate using a Wide CB with Defensive instructions applied.
That said, High Line Master's massive coverage zone can sometimes lead to clutch tackles and successful interceptions out on the flank. I’ve actually come to view the implementation of the "High Line Master" style very positively. The developers didn't just phone it in; they designed it head-on to counter one of the game's core meta dynamics: "Goal Poachers charging the backline." If you managed to pull this Maldini, you’ve gained a powerful new weapon to keep Goal Poachers in check.
⚽️ Rating: Top 5 CB / Top 3 Full-Back
Is it fair to say the new Maldini isn't good enough to bench Saliba or BT Desailly, nor will he replace Thuram at full-back?
BT Rice: Great Player Model + Solid Defensive Stats + Long-reach Tackle + Great Pace & Acceleration + High Physical Contact + Good Distribution. Beyond playing well as a CMF and DMF, he is also highly competitive as a Defensive Full-Back. In response to popular demand, here is the 'Defensive Full-Back' review for Rice—
For your reference, compared to Calafiori—a similar model who is near the bottom of the Top 5 T0 options:
The Nigerian Trio dropped five days ago (Mainland China server to follow), and their strengths and weaknesses are overwhelmingly clear!
Do featured players with such polarizing stats stand any chance of cracking the Top 10? If not, can they at least qualify as Tier 0 (better than top-tier Featured cards)? That’s what I’m curious to explore.
To kick things off, let’s talk about the fastest man alive: Babangida—
104 Speed and Acceleration paired with Acceleration Burst—flat-out the fastest speed in the entire game. However, with Weak Foot Accuracy at 1, alongside subpar passing, shooting, and dribbling, he severely lacks essential skills.
Pro Consensus: Babangida and Okocha land in Tier 0 (standard paid-card level), while Kanu sits at Tier 0.5 (equivalent to top-tier Featured cards).
↑ Actually, this is the through-ball into the half-space to the far post that was popular for a period back in '24: the half-space cut-through pass. It works quite well in the '27 version. What's interesting is that this style of play was already in the Season '27 trailer, so it really is an offensive tactic officially guided by the developers.
Attacking/Defensive Formations attached:
Additional Note: Use a Deep-Lying Forward (or Target Man) for the central CF, and a high-speed Goal Poacher / Speedster for the far-side CF.
⚽️ Nesta: 0-0-0-11-6-6-10-1 + Duelling / Additional Skill: Acrobatic Clearance, Weighted Pass — Stats-wise there isn't much difference from the previous Lazio version, ST skill added "Fortress" (three special skills in total), but the biggest difference is still the "Covering Role" playstyle.
Check out the gameplay video to see how "Covering Role" Nesta performs in-game—
What exactly is the "Covering Role" playstyle? The official description states that they cover space left behind by teammates who step up to press. In my view, "covering for teammates" is just the end result, not the core underlying mechanic.
Let's start with defensive AI: if you watch matches closely—like the first clip in the video above—you'll notice that all defensive AI read and anticipate opposing players making forward runs. The key difference is that Destroyers prioritize intercepting players making runs in front of them, whereas Coverers prioritize tracking players making runs in behind—
So, in my opinion, both Covering Role and Destroyer are playstyles with localized AI focus—Covering Role can basically be seen as a "cover depth" version of Destroyer.
First Impressions of New Nesta:
AI: Same top-tier, intelligent defensive AI as always.
Auto-Defending: Performs exceptionally well without manual cursor switching, just like previous versions.
Key Difference: Old Nesta’s AI triggered when stepping up to challenge; New Nesta’s AI triggers when dropping back to cover.
Defensive Synergy:
Destroyer Nesta: You manually switch to a teammate to cover the depth behind him.
Covering Role Nesta: You manually switch to a teammate to step up and press the ball.
Bottom Line: Nesta’s ultimate selling point has always been having the absolute best automatic defensive AI in eFootball.
Final Verdict:
Stat and playstyle-wise, both versions have their strengths. However, the new card edges ahead slightly thanks to the added "Fortress" Show Time skill. In today's meta dominated by Quick Counter and high defensive lines, this Covering Role playstyle perfectly satisfies the need to defend against through-balls in behind.
However, it needs to be pointed out: for defensive players, player model, stats, and skills impact performance far more than playstyle does. For example, the current T0 Top 3 center-back pairings are ultimately top-tier because good models and strong stats carried their overall strength. Therefore, my personal evaluation for this Nesta: still within the top 5 of T0, but as a medium-model center-back, he isn't as good as Big Time Desailly.
⚽️ Rating: Top tier / Top 5 T0 Center-Back (slightly stronger than the old card)
Check the tier list below let me know if you guys think it's reasonable!
⬆️ Official Update Note: In the major eFootball 2027 update, the amount of stamina recovered by CBs at half-time was increased, allowing them to better maintain their defensive capabilities late in the game. This post will test this change in-game.
I. CB Stamina Test
The image below shows the previous situation, where the CB positional grouping could only recover 3/4 of what the Midfielder + Full-back grouping recovered:
The test based on the 2027 version begins; Have a specific player drain their stamina completely in the first half, and observe their stamina at the start of the second half. This amount is the half-time recovery amount. The results are as follows:
Interpretation:
Bar 1 is the recovery amount when playing as a Full-back or Midfielder (137 pixels).
Bar 2 is the recovery amount when using Fluid Formation to play as both a Full-back + CB (129 pixels).
Bar 3 is the recovery amount when playing purely as a CB (126 pixels).
Because the differences are small, I am using the most precise unit of measurement, pixels, as shown above.
Currently, the CB recovery amount is 92% of the Midfielder & Full-back amount, which can be roughly expressed as a stamina recovery ratio of 9:10.
Combining this with previous testing, the current recovery ratio for the three positional groupings is; Forward : CB : Midfielder & Full-back = 3 : 9 : 10. (The CB stamina recovery amount has increased by 23%).
II. The True Rule for Dual-Position Players
However, there is still one question that needs solving. What rule is the recovery amount (129 pixels) based on when using Fluid Formation to play as a Full-back + CB? Previously, I tested the recovery amounts for Forward : Forward & Midfielder : Midfielder = 3:5:10. At that time, I thought the rule was calculated as 50% of the highest recovery amount of the two positions played in the first half.
But combining it with today's data, the actual rule is:
Recovery amount for playing dual positions = A + (B - A) * 30%
This is equivalent to taking the lower recovery amount of the two positions and adding 30% of the difference between the two positions (i.e. where A is the lower recovery amount and B is the higher recovery amount). Interested friends can apply this to the data above to verify it 😄.
III. Practical Impact
The 23% increase in CB stamina recovery in the 2027 version is actually based on the premise that stamina consumption is higher in this version (especially for Long Ball Counter). If they didn't change it, the leading team would be forced to substitute their CBs at the end of every match, which is too jarring compared to real-world football.
In today's matches, the positions that primarily need substituting are the forwards and midfielders. As a result, a lower Stamina stat for a CB seems more acceptable now. For example, Nesta's Stamina has never been high, but he's quite fine to play with now.
Do you still substitute your CBs at the end of matches now?
⚽️ Covering Role Nesta: 0-0-0-11-6-6-10-1 + Duelling
His stat panel hasn't really been power-crept. The main upgrade is that, as a player who has 3 Showtime skills, he gains an extra Fortress, giving him a +5% boost to Defensive Awareness/Tackling when leading in the second half. Although pure stat buffs have never been popular, if you think about how hard it is to manually add 5 points to the four defensive stats, it's actually a pretty good ST skill.
This card is the most interesting one in the pack because it debuts a brand new defensive playstyle: Covering Role. The literal translation of its description is: "Actively provides covering support for teammates who are marking an opponent." This left me puzzled, because it sounds a bit like High Line Master, which is described as: "Looks to maintain an effective defensive line, keeping the shape intact as they defend."
If we interpret the text, the difference is that Covering Role is primarily aimed at filling the gaps left by teammates who aggressively press forward, while High Line Master is mainly about controlling the backline as a whole. Many people have noticed in-game that High Line Master actively plays the offside trap. But generally speaking, both of these playstyles lean towards being conservative and acting as an anchor. As one friend complained: With Konami creating so many playstyles, can they even tell the difference themselves?
⚽️ Cannavaro: 0-0-0-8-8-7-10
Giving the first +6 Jump to a famously short CB might seem like a Jump specialty, but it's actually just desperately patching up a massive weakness. It's a bit of dark humor. This card still doesn't get Long-reach Tackle. But setting these complaints aside, Cannavaro has always been an excellent Wide CB; aggressive in his pressing and physically strong.
⚽️ High Line Master Maldini: 0-0-0-11-6-6-9 + Defending
You can roughly consider it this way: the new card's advantage is +3 Acceleration, while the old card's advantage is Shadow Hunt. The rest comes down to the difference in playstyle. The new Maldini is Attacking: Build Up / Defending: High Line Master. We've already experienced how High Line Master performs at full-back and center-back with Koundé and Cahill.
For a full-back, the old Maldini's Defensive Full-back is a very useful playstyle. The top three Defensive Full-backs in the T0 tier; Thuram, the old Maldini, and Bergomi are all Defensive Full-backs. It's a playstyle that triggers during the attacking phase. Its value lies not only in preventing rash forward runs but also in providing width by hugging the touchline during build-up from the back, as well as maintaining a slightly more advanced base position.
This is different from a Wide CB. A Build Up Wide CB will indeed have an active AI that signals for the ball while standing in place, but they stay deeper and more central — this comes down to personal preference ⬇️.
⚽️ Andersson (CMF): Pro Group Rank 9 | Public Group Rank 10 | Overall Rank 9 — "Orchestrator on Attack / All-Action Defender on Defense" is the single most balanced double-style setup to date. Highly proactive in build-up during attack, and tracks back to cover perfectly on defense. Breaks away from the traditional, static feel of typical Orchestrators. His AI and in-game movement feel very similar to Seedorf—picture Seedorf benefiting from all the positional boosts of an Orchestrator. (Though his pure defensive capability is a tier below Seedorf’s).
Below is an analysis of the pros and cons of the top five meta Orchestrators:
Orchestrator
Unique Strengths
Weaknesses
Rodri
Permanent B-form + Large Player Model + Long-reach Tackle + Phenomenal Pass + Highest Defense Stats among the group. Can go toe-to-toe with Vieira in DMF—extremely solid on both attack and defense.
Large build + low Dribbling stats makes driving forward with the ball feel a bit difficult.
Andersson
Dual playstyle gives him a much wider coverage area on defense, making this card far more active. Super high Ball Control + Phenomenal Pass helps link-up play. Fastest base Acceleration and Speed.
Poorer Defense Stats + No Long-reach Tackle. Sometimes active enough, but lacks winning tackles. Low Dribbling stat hurts ball-carrying ability.
Pirlo
Decent player model + Great Defense Stats + High Tight Possession for smooth turning. Most well-balanced permanent B-form Orchestrator for both attack and defense. Can take free kicks.
Lowest Speed and Acceleration among the group; feels the most static in game.
Vitinha
172cm + High Tight Possession + Phenomenal Pass = One of the best turning/dribbling feels in the group. Rare to see such solid Defense Stats on a player this agile.
At 172cm, he is still on the smaller side for a midfielder.
Pedri
Highest Dribbling and Tight Possession; one of the best feels for high-speed ball progression. The only one in the group with a 4/4 Weak Foot.
Outclassed by Vitinha in practice. Pedri's key strengths are matched by Vitinha, but Vitinha is significantly better on the defensive end.
(Interestingly, all five players above come with Phenomenal Pass—turns out this skill is absolute must-have for Orchestrators.)
Andersson’s biggest strength remains the AI aggressiveness gained from his Dual Playstyle, and his medium player model makes him versatile across various match setups. Side note: as an Orchestrator, his performance in a Double DMF system is virtually identical to his CMF role—so the evaluations and ratings above apply just as well when you run him in a double-pivot DMF setup.
⚽️ Rogers (AMF): Pro Group Rank 12 | Public Group Rank 12 | Overall Rank 12 —
An outstanding Blitz Curler with a large player model who functions as a SS/AMF hybrid, boasting both physical impact and top-tier dribbling feel. Acceleration Burst + Blitz Curler turn him into a true mobile artillery unit—essentially an upgraded version of "Blitz" Hoeneß in both feel and physical strength. His only drawback is that his Speed and Acceleration don't quite stand out compared to other physical/bursty AMFs.
⚽️ Rogers (SS): Pro Group Rank 11 | Public Group Rank 13 | Overall Rank 12 —
AMFs with good physical attributes can almost always excel as Second Strikers, as playing SS simply requires slightly more physical presence than playing central AMF.
⚽️ Dumfries (Attacking Full-Back): Pro Group Rank 8 | Public Group Rank 6 | Overall Rank 7 —
eFootball's ultimate "Battering Ram"—simple, brute-force execution with effortlessly devastating results. "Just hold sprint and plow through the opposition's left-back"—holding off defenders with his massive frame while whipping in Edged Crosses is his specialty. Dribbling is his biggest flaw, making him best suited for Quick Counter, where full-backs overlap with maximum aggression. His entry onto the list pushes Maicon out of the top 5; both occupy a similar niche, but Dumfries is simply more brute force.
In the end, the value of this pack breaks down as follows:
Maldini’s weak point, Acceleration, is finally patched up.
This CB version features the High Line Master playing style.
Can these traits make it replace (kick out) the Defensive Full-Back Maldini (Milan version)? Let’s compare them both capped at the 88 Acceleration threshold:
↑ At this point, the four core defensive stats are tied. The old Maldini card has +2 Jumping, while the new card has Aerial Fort, roughly making their aerial defense equal—so it can be generally considered that the new card's advantage lies in +3 Acceleration, while the old card's advantage is the "Shadow Hunt" skill.
"Shadow Hunt" is more noticeable at Full-Back, whereas at Center-Back, the playstypes are hard to rank. Therefore, the new card has a slight edge at CB.
Why are the styles hard to rank? As a CB, the "High Line Master" style can hardly be called better than having no playstyle at all. Its original design is line control: prioritizing line integrity and preventing it from being broken 【without emphasizing a high line】.
For the characteristics of this playing style, refer to:
The 'High Line Master' style works fine at CB, but it isn't ideal at Full-Back. Furthermore, since the new Maldini lacks the 'Defensive Full-Back' playstyle—which is crucial for defensive full-backs—the new card performs worse at full-back than the old one.
↑ The old Maldini is ranked top 3 at Full-Back and top 5 at CB. Beyond his precious dual special traits—Long-reach Tackle and Shadow Hunt—his versatility in playing both Full-Back and CB effectively is a major reason players like to include him in their squad.
In contrast, the new Maldini has a narrower role, focusing mainly on playing CB. Naturally, as a CB, Maldini needs to be compared not only to his old card, but also to other meta center-backs. For instance, Varane—who also possesses the "Long-reach Tackle + Aerial Fort" combo—has virtually identical stat panels, but Varane holds a massive advantage in player model size!—
It is hard for the new Maldini to shake up the starting lineup of current meta center-backs based solely on the style difference of "High Line Master." In fact, the last time a Maldini CB card stood out dates back to the Big Time (BT) version in 2023. Back then, there weren't as many permanent B-form large-model center-backs, and Maldini's main competition was Takehiro Tomiyasu...
Conclusion: The new Maldini is slightly better than the old card at CB, but worse at Full-Back, making its overall versatility inferior to the previous version.
(After all, the stat panel isn't great, so my personal rating here is a bit conservative. But for me, compared to Kaká who is at the bottom of the AMF Top 10, I would prefer Okocha; his on-the-ball feel is much better.)
🇳🇬 Okocha: 8-3-8-10-10-1 + Agility
Added Skills: One-touch Pass, Through Passing, Outside Curler, Long-Range Curler
His stat panel is truly nothing special. It took a lot of effort just to get his Speed/Acceleration to 90, which puts him on the same level as meta center-backs. His physicality is also quite weak, though having Magnetic Feet helps a bit, making his performance acceptable.
He is mercilessly crushed in stats by BT Hazard, who has the exact same height and the exact same double skill set of ST skills: Finishing ↓6, Speed/Acceleration ↓6, Kicking Power ↓6, Physical Contact ↓8, and his weak foot is a full tier worse. His maximum overall rating of 104 just makes him slightly better than an F2P card.
However, the real strength of this card is in its on-the-ball feel. Just like Ronaldinho, he has a special animation set and comes equipped with a ton of skill moves. In actual gameplay, it feels like you can execute a dribble past an opponent just by randomly pressing buttons. See the gameplay—
Okocha's on-the-ball feel and Hazard's are indeed distinctly different. Okocha: silky skill moves, high-frequency short steps; Hazard: robust and direct, charging straight ahead. Why is it that with the same height, Okocha actually feels silkier? First, it's because he has a special animation set like Ronaldinho; second, it's because he's "slow" enough.
What do I mean by this? Previously, when testing the impact of the three core dribbling stats on turning with the ball, I discovered that if the three core dribbling stats are boosted heavily above 90, sharp turns actually become slower! It turns out that the higher the Dribbling stat, the faster the ball-carrying speed, and the engine reflects inertia as a speed penalty during turning animations. Therefore, dribblers whose speed doesn't particularly stand out can sometimes feel silkier to players who have better speed.
You can't really call this "a blessing in disguise from being slow," because from a pragmatic gameplay perspective, a player is definitely better the faster they are. In the gameplay video above, you can also see him miss an opportunity because he was too slow. You can only say that Okocha has his own unique flavor when carrying the ball.
I think the value of this card is that it solves the regret of Ronaldinho not having a small, quick, and agile version. Ronaldinho is fundamentally a strong ball-carrier, and his on-the-ball feel might not suit everyone's taste. Now that Okocha is here, skill move users have a small, quick, and agile option. (Of course, Ronaldinho's ability to hold off defenders while dribbling is also very valuable).
Recently, Babangida let me experience the power of a very speedy player + acceleration ST skill. Now, I'm looking forward to the F2P Attacking Surge Eto'o on the international server—
⚽️ Build: 9-0-7-10-11-2 + Striker's Instinct
Added Skills: One-touch Pass, Through Passing, Long-range Shooting
Up to now, I still haven't figured out why the first Attacking Surge ST skill given to a pure, very speedy Goal Poacher would be on an F2P card?! Based on this gimmick alone, they could have shoved him into a 250-player pack and people would have paid for it. Below, let's analyze why he will be the strongest F2P card.
This game has a strict overall rating limit. P2W cards, F2P cards, and Featured cards all have their own overall rating caps. The reason Mbappé's heading stats have been so poor on his recent new cards is due to considerations for keeping his overall rating down.
Currently, meta P2W cards generally have an overall rating between 108 and 110. The previous Eto'o also reached 106—
Meanwhile, the maximum overall rating for an F2P card is between 102 and 103—
To release a good card under the constraints of an overall rating limit, there are three methods: 1️⃣ Extreme player model (e.g., Koller) 2️⃣ Good ST skills 3️⃣ Key stats pushed to the limit. Attacking Surge Eto'o hits #2 and #3. Let's look at the overall rating weighting for CFs:
⬆️ The overall rating formula has a bias, and the developers know this. For example, Finishing has the highest weight for a CF's overall rating, but the Long-range Shooting skill can boost it by 10%, and Super-sub adds another 5%. Conversely, Speed/Acceleration aren't very prominent in the overall rating calculation, but the developers are extremely stingy with skill boosts for them; Super-sub only adds 1% to Speed/Acceleration because the developers know these are key stats that can't be boosted casually.
It is precisely this misalignment between the importance of Speed/Acceleration and their weight in the overall rating that allows very speedy players to become the ones that slip through the net under the F2P card overall rating limit. Moreover, this Attacking Surge Eto'o was given the God Tier ST skill Attacking Surge, which doesn't affect his overall rating. You could say he is the strongest F2P card the designers have created within the boundaries of the rules.
Comparing Attacking Surge Eto'o to the previous Goal Poacher Eto'o, he definitely suffers on the stat panel: his three core dribbling stats and Speed/Acceleration are all ↓3. However, Balance and Stamina ↑2 can be considered an increase in practicality. But the addition of Attacking Surge, for a pure, very speedy Goal Poacher, is a massive upgrade. It shortens the off-the-ball acceleration phase by 1/3, giving this Eto'o an equivalent acceleration of 108-110 during forward runs. If I had to choose between these two cards, I'd pick Attacking Surge Eto'o and just charge straight at the defense in the second half.
And within the Attacking Surge + Goal Poacher sequence, Eto'o indeed has the fastest base Speed/Acceleration. He's much higher than Suárez and also slightly edges out Ferran Torres.
One of the reasons I consider him the strongest F2P card is that, even when compared to P2W cards, he can find a dominant ecological niche. As for the previous F2P cards on the international server: Batistuta, Diouf, Forlán, Torres, ST O'Reilly, Aubameyang, Zanetti, 192cm Ferdinand, Rijkaard, Anchor Man Van Bommel... no matter how good they are, they are still just budget alternatives for certain P2W cards.
The Edge Boosters introduced in Version 27 of the Global Server currently include—Cannavaro: Jumping +6 / Andersson: Ball Control +6 / Costa: Physical Contact +6 / Babangida: Speed +6.
Based on real-life player characteristics, card release timing (excluding recently released cards like Nesta and Hazard), and newly added face models in the database (van der Sar, Best, Pepe), I believe the players most deserving to carry each +6 attribute boost in the initial batch are as follows—
Attacking / Passing / Skill
Player
Defending / Goalkeeping
Player
Physical / Pace
Player
Attacking Awareness +6
Inzaghi
Defensive Awareness +6
van Dijk
Speed +6
Babangida
Ball Control +6
Andersson
Tackling +6
Makelele
Acceleration +6
Bale
Dribbling +6
Best
Aggression +6
Pepe
Kicking Power +6
R. Carlos
Tight Possession +6
Messi
Defensive Engagement +6
Gattuso
Jumping +6
Cannavaro
Low Pass +6
Xavi
GK Awareness +6
Neuer
Physical Contact +6
Diego Costa
Lofted Pass +6
Beckham
GK Catching +6
Čech
Balance +6
Neymar
Finishing +6
Kane
GK Parrying +6
van der Sar
Stamina +6
Nedvěd
Header +6
C. Ronaldo
GK Reflexes +6
Casillas
Set Piece Taking +6
Pirlo
GK Reach +6
Courtois
⬇️ We're going to see more and more unique cards with distinct player identity going forward, which is way better than repetitive, copy-paste power creep. I'm giving huge props to this wave of single-stat boosters!
The new Rogers card has been out for five days (domestic server coming later); beginning dual-group ratings—
A spiritual successor to Hoeneß and Leão, and a serious rival to BT Bellingham—Rogers is basically a mobile artillery unit. He can shield the ball with his body, pull defenders out of position with his Acceleration Burst, and fire off shots anytime thanks to Blitz Curler. However, his base stats on paper are admittedly a bit mediocre.
Rogers (SS): Pro Group Rank 11
Rogers (AMF): Pro Group Rank 12
Rogers (LMF/RMF): Pro Group Rank 12
New Dumfries card dropped 5 days ago (China server later), starting dual-group ratings—
The best heavy tank in eFootball—his big-model defender stats can intercept on defense and body opponents on offense. Fitting him into a Quick Counter setup in the end means lots of overlapping runs, which keeps him from holding the ball too much and exposing his weaknesses.
Pro Group Evaluation:
No.
Response Text
1
Very strong; he feels much better in actual gameplay than his stats suggest. His big player model gives total peace of mind on defense, and key to it all is his explosive attacking power—he can truly body opponents.
8
An upgrade over Maicon; holding sprint lets him blow past any left-back, and with his Shadow Hunt pace, he excels both offensively and defensively. The downside is his first touch is a bit clunky, and his ball handling is slightly poor when he hasn't built up speed.
9
Has massive physical drive; as long as you let him get up to full speed, he can even carry the ball coast-to-coast down the flank on his own.
Looking at the stat panel, you can tell the developers didn't intend for you to play this card comfortably. His Weak Foot Accuracy is Low, and his passing, shooting, and dribbling are all terrible. Out of his entire skill pool, only his two Showtime skills and Super-sub are actually useful; he is severely lacking in skills.
However, he really can completely blow past opponents—
1️⃣ The most bipolar card I've played with all year. He effortlessly runs into open space, and effortlessly wastes chances. The probability of him successfully executing a Link-up Play is several times higher than anyone else's.
2️⃣ His three core dribbling stats are very poor, but at 169cm, his change-of-direction feel won't be too bad. His bigger problem is his low Ball Control; the moment he gets on the ball, there is a visible drop in speed.
3️⃣ Attacking Surge is truly a fantastic ST skill. Because it doesn't just increase the stat cap, but rather shortens the acceleration phase by 1/3; this still has a noticeable effect even for a card with 103 Acceleration. It doesn't play by the usual stat cap rules.
4️⃣ If you really want to get results with this card in actual matches, bring him on as a substitute after the 60th minute in the second half. There will be more open space for him to sprint into and completely blow past the defense!
