UPDATE:Â EA has announced via Twitter that FIFA 20 will not have a TOTW promo this week. Instead, they will replace it with "player content". The team didn't go into specifics, as I'm sure they're still figuring everything out. We will hopefully know more at the beginning of next week. I still expect some type of "Best of" previous TOTW to be the solution, but only time will tell. It will be interesting to see how many players actually play Weekend League this week, given the uncertainty around rewards.
With the football world shutting down around us, many FIFA fans are curious about what EA will do with the FIFA 20Â Team of the Week (TOTW) promotion. EA structures quite a bit of the game around this weekly promo, with a large part of player's rewards from Weekend League coming from TOTW. However, with all of the leagues suspending play, EA does not have a player pool to select from. Thus far, EA has been relatively quiet on the issue, simply saying they are "
We are continuing to monitor the ongoing worldwide situation, however, we are currently planning to proceed with TOTW 27 based on the fixtures taking place this weekend.
We will keep you updated as this situation continues to evolve. https://t.co/eYHoF1mkXc— FIFA Direct Communication (@EAFIFADirect) March 12, 2020
" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reviewing plans".
Before going any further into the ongoing situation, it's important to note that, in the grand scheme of things, FIFA 20 doesn't really matter. Obviously, the real-life concerns around the coronavirus are infinitely more important than anything happening in a video game. That said, it is a fascinating situation to watch. FIFA 20's Ultimate Team is one of the biggest money-makers in the video game industry and this is unprecedented. So much of the game is structured around TOTW. Not only do players get rewarded with stars from each TOTW following the Weekend League, but TOTW cards are often used for various player SBCs. Without new ones flooding into the game, the prices of previous TOTWs will fly on the transfer market.
There's also some concern over what this means for Team of the Season. TOTS is usually one of the biggest promos of the season, with most major leagues getting a heavily boosted team full of players added. Obviously, most of the leagues would be nearing their endpoint in the next few months. However, it's still an important point for EA to address.
The team has a few options in front of them. Potentially the easiest would be to reintroduce old TOTW players. A "Best Of" version of TOTW would serve as a solid stopgap for rewards. EA could easily squeeze a few weeks out of that idea. From there, they could begin introducing new, non-performance based special cards into the mix. Some have already been calling for that to happen before all the leagues closed down. TOTW has quickly become outdated this season because EA has introduced so many boosted promo cards anyways. Putting those same promo cards into rewards might be the best idea.
Of course, that doesn't do much to assuage concerns over SBCs. I suppose you could take TOTW cards out of future SBCs entirely, but that may throw the entire market into more of a downward spiral than it already is. Truthfully, it's not a position I'd want to be in, especially with Weekend League happening right now. EA needs to get their decision correct, but also has to do it relatively quickly. Here's hoping they get it right this time.
As of this writing, EA has yet to announce its plans. As soon as they do, we will have an update here at DualShockers. FIFA 20 is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.