Positions have a new reworked system for FIFA 23 Ultimate Team. Here's everything you need to know about how it works.
FIFA Ultimate Team is a game mode that allows you to build a squad of all your favourite players from around world football and battle it out with players around the globe in various game modes. Since its initial introduction in FIFA 09, it has gone from strength to strength and has implemented many new features over the years, including draft mode, FUT Champions and Division Rivals.
But one thing that has remained a constant throughout the years is the idea of positions for players. Every player receives a position on their base card, and to obtain half-decent chemistry, you must play that player in the correct position.
The only way you could get a player into a new position was through position modifiers or if the player received a particular version with a changed position... until now, with FIFA 23 set to revolutionise how player positions work in the future.
Let's look at how player positions now work in FIFA 23.
Read More: FIFA 23 Ratings: Predictions and Everything We Know So Far
FIFA 23 Ultimate Team positions explained
So, in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team, base cards can have more than one position.
Base Players, such as Bronze, Silver, and Gold, now have a Preferred Position and up to three Alternative Positions. These positions will be set for all Base Player Items when FUT 23 releases.
Kylian Mbappe's Preferred Position is ST. Using a Position modifier item will make it possible to change Mbappé's Preferred Position to one of the listed Alternative Positions. Mbappé could then be slotted into that position in the Starting XI and now be able to gain chemistry. However, he can also play at LW and CF.
Based on the player, this opens up the potential for position changes across the pitch instead of just vertically through your formation. Alternative Positions can be seen on all Player Items as a Player View or in the Player Bio.
Certain Preferred Positions will also have automatic Alternative Positions assigned to all players in these positions. These will contribute toward one of their three possible alternate positions. It is important to note that this only applies to the original Preferred Position for the player.
How do you change the player's position?
EA has streamlined Position Modifiers into a single Consumable Item to make changing positions easier. Using these Consumables, you can change a player to any of their Alternative Positions.
If you change a position, their previous position becomes available in the list of Alternative Positions, so you can always switch back with an additional Consumable.
For example, if a player has ST as their Preferred Position and LB and CF as their Alternative Position, using a Position Modifier and converting them from ST to LB will make LB their new Preferred Position and CF and ST their Alternative Positions. Important to note that it will not introduce LWB as a new Alternative Position as LB was not the initial Preferred Position for that Player Item.
It's all a little confusing - but we're sure everyone will pick it up quickly.
What happens if you place a player out of position?
Players will now only gain and contribute to Chemistry in their Preferred Position. Players out of position will always be at zero Chemistry and play at their FUT Item Attributes.
When a player is out of position, their position on the pitch will feature a yellow exclamation mark in the Chemistry Panel.
Moving a player out of position will also impact how they contribute to Chemistry with other players who share the same parameters. For example, moving Mbappé out of position means he is no longer contributing an increment to the Chemistry Thresholds for France, Paris Saint Germain, and Ligue 1 and may move everyone down by one Chemistry Point if you are on the edge of a threshold.
You can find all of the latest Gaming News right here at GiveMeSport.