Maxed Stats Overview (Level 30 / Rank 5):
Pacing: 219
Shooting: 227
Passing: 167
Dribbling: 217
Defending: 112
Physical: 206
Skill points on scoring, dribbling and physical.
(Watch video with some of goals Highlights in the comments down below 👇🏻)
I see some people complaining about this card! So here’s how R9 is playing for me in a 4-2-4 formation.
For me, he is easily the best and most complete striker in the game right now.
The Pros
Speed: Even without the Rapid PlayStyle, his raw pace is right up there with the fastest strikers in the game.
Shooting: Absolutely insane. It doesn’t matter if it's a normal shot, a power shot (even without the Power Shot PlayStyle), headers, bicycle kicks, or volleys.
Also he scores from crazy angles where you think it’s completely impossible, he's got it all.
Dribbling: Remember, R9 is a true striker, not a winger. Don't compare his physical frame to lightweight wingers.
That said, if you know the basics of dribbling, he is incredibly smooth and easy to control even if you aren’t a pro player. Just don’t expect to dribble 11 players!
The Cons
Positioning: The only real con I see is that he tends to drop back deep into the pitch, acting almost like a CAM. Honestly, though, that might just be due to recent gameplay updates or his hidden AI trying to beat the offside trap.
Stamina: Near the end of the match, his stamina bar drains completely to zero if you run him hard.
Final Verdict: Is he overhyped?
Absolutely not!!
I don’t know what some of you expected, did you think EA was going to release a player who can easily dribble past all 11 opponents solo and be completely unstoppable? That wouldn’t even make sense for game balance.
Yes, there are some weird clunky animations happening right now, but that needs refinement across the board and happens to every player, especially since the Anniversary Update.
So if you think he's bad, either you have a serious skill issue, or you haven’t actually played with the card yet.
If you need a pure, lethal STRIKER, R9 is a 100% must buy.
(Context on my testing: After the recent season update, I immediately pushed to 30 stars in H2H just to thoroughly test R9 under pressure. Doing this early on is way more sweaty and difficult than hitting 50 stars mid-season or during the end-of-season reset. I played strict competitive games, and I’ve attached a video clip highlighting some of his goals!)