The Silver Stars Series received mixed reviews from FIFA 22 Ultimate Team fans, and the debate continues to rage on.
We loved the promo itself, but we are now seeing repercussions of what it brought to the game in the classic Live FUT Friendly: Silver Lounge.
Can EA rejuvenate the mode, or have we lost it for good this season?
End game
Reddit user Suffolke took to the internet to share their dismay at what the Silver Stars Series has done to the game.
Squad monotony
It is difficult to argue with Suffolke, as since the promo ended almost every match in the Silver Lounge we have played has contained a full set of boosted silver cards.
Where previously chemistry links had been like gold dust, now it's just a case of preference as there are so many options to choose from.
EA has once again abused the French meta, offering links to almost every league with two French right-backs and a plethora of French midfielders to choose from.
This has rendered your original Silver Stars squads worthless, as they are no longer a match for centre-backs with 95 Pace, or Gullit Gang midfielders.
Not all doom and gloom
However, there is one thing that the Silver Lounge still offers that FUT Champs and Rivals cannot, and that is a 'free-to-play' element.
Yes, some of the Silver Stars Series cards were SBCs, but they were very reasonably priced, meaning that pretty much every FUT player has access to all these cards.
This does offer a level playing field in the Silver Lounge, although it is not the tactical battle for chemistry and effectiveness that it once was.
We still enjoy the Silver Lounge for that exact reason. There is no fear in who your opponent has paid to have. It is solely down to your own skill.
What's next?
There is a power curve in every FUT season, and EA needs to continue the trend in Silver Stars for the mode to stay relevant.
Several 85-86 rated players were released in the Silver Stars Series event, so any new releases now will need to at least match those items.
We love it when EA combines the current FUT promo event with Silver Stars on a Wednesday, so fingers crossed for more of that.
EA did release the 'Samba Stars' last year with a trio of Brazilians becoming available, so more content like that could be on the way.