FIFA 23 is deep into its cycle, with Team of the Year passing and Team of the Season lurking on a distant horizon.
Whilst new seasons come and go, players often find the FIFA formula difficult to break away from.
With that in mind, a recent Reddit thread discussing how people stave away FIFA boredom got us thinking about the best ways to keep the game feeling fresh.
Tips to avoid getting bored with FIFA
Sports games, by their very nature, struggle to remain fresh for their entire year-long cycle.
With the bare bones being a football match, FIFA can struggle to feel unique and different, especially Ultimate Team.
EA do a good job of introducing new content, but it's hard to argue against those that suggest there's simply too much of it.
So what is the easiest way to stave away boredom in FIFA 23? take a look at these player tips.
Wave after Wave
One comment within the thread, from user Laskeese, spoke about how they experience FIFA in waves, often stepping away to play more time-consuming games.
"If I have nothing else to do I'll grind hard on my FUT team for a couple of weeks, a new game will come out and I'll ignore FIFA for a couple of weeks, I generally go through this cycle for the entire year but I think I play the game much differently from the average user."
Granted, many FIFA players enjoy the constant grind, but maybe that's part of the problem.
With this method, you would allow yourself ample time to step away from the game, enjoying the anticipation of play as opposed to the expectation of keeping up to date with all the content released.
Burn Out
A lot of the comments in the thread mentioned how they feel burnt out incredibly quickly, with some already turning away from the game.
"I'll obsessively grind through to ww or previously futmas promo, build a good team then try to pack a Team of the Year, fail and get jaded and hop off." - user ElBigTaco
Many remarked how the beginning of Team of the Season signals the end, with too many overpowered cards entering the game and spoiling the fun.
Overall, many players appeared to remark that once the promos hot up, their interest dwindles.
That being said, there were a few that commented on how they don't even pick up Ultimate Team until Team of the Season rolls around, giving them the chance to try new cards at affordable prices.
Know your Limits
The overall theme of this FIFA 23 boredom thread was one of understanding when enough is enough.
Rather than allowing yourself to become frustrated with the game, simply acknowledge when it's no longer fun and step away.
User theCEPenguin stated that they would step away from the game "as soon as they stop having fun."
Whilst this may not help get rid of the initial boredom, stepping away and allowing yourself a FIFA refresh seems to be the preference for many, with the game unable to bog you down when you don't feel the shackles of its constant content.
EA do everything they can to make FIFA 23 feel fresh throughout the cycle, but it's natural that many will still feel burnt out and bored during some point this year.
With that in mind, simply know when enough is enough. Balance your play and find new ways to entertain yourself, maybe then you'll start enjoying FIFA as football game, rather than a grind.
You can read the full Reddit thread here.