For FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) enthusiasts, the thrill of opening packs is unparalleled. The anticipation builds with each card revealed, culminating in the ultimate question: Is it a walkout? A walkout signifies a high-rated player, usually 84 or higher, and is accompanied by a unique animation. Learning to recognize these animations can save you precious seconds and allow you to celebrate your potential pull without unnecessary delay. This comprehensive guide will equip you with the knowledge and techniques to identify FIFA walkouts like a seasoned pro.
What is a FIFA Walkout?
In FIFA Ultimate Team, a walkout is a special animation sequence that plays when revealing a player card rated typically 84 or higher in a pack. This animation is visually distinct from those of lower-rated players and serves as a quick indicator of a potentially valuable card. The specific animation details have evolved across different FIFA editions, but the core concept remains the same: to build excitement and anticipation.
Why is Identifying a Walkout Important?
There are several reasons why quickly identifying a walkout is crucial:
- Excitement and Celebration: Knowing you’ve packed a high-rated player allows you to immediately celebrate and share the excitement with friends or online communities.
- Market Timing: In FUT, the transfer market is dynamic. Identifying a valuable player quickly enables you to list them for sale at the optimal time, potentially maximizing your profit.
- Strategic Team Building: Knowing your pack contents immediately allows you to adjust your squad-building strategies and plan your next moves.
- Avoiding Disappointment: Quickly recognizing a non-walkout prevents building up false hope and disappointment when opening packs.
Step-by-Step Guide to Identifying FIFA Walkouts
The following steps will guide you through the process of identifying a walkout, covering key aspects from the initial pack opening to the final reveal.
1. The Pack Opening Sequence
The journey begins with the pack opening animation. Pay close attention to the initial visual cues:
- The Flare/Light: Typically, walkouts are accompanied by a more prominent and brighter flare of light or sparks during the pack opening. Non-walkouts usually have a dimmer and less pronounced light effect. Look for a powerful burst of light that seems to emanate from within the pack itself. This is often your first clue.
- Camera Angle: The camera angle often shifts dramatically for a walkout, providing a more cinematic and dynamic view of the pack. Notice how the camera moves as the pack is being opened. If it zooms in rapidly or pans around in a sweeping motion, it’s a positive sign. For non-walkouts, the camera angle is usually more static.
2. Nation Reveal Flags
The next key indicator is the nation flag reveal. Observe the following details:
- Flag Speed: The speed at which the flag unfurls or appears can be indicative. Walkouts often have a slower, more dramatic flag reveal. Instead of instantly popping into view, the flag might slowly materialize, adding to the suspense.
- Flag Animation: The animation of the flag itself can be a telltale sign. Look for unique animations, such as ripples or fluttering effects, that are not present in non-walkout reveals. Sometimes there’s a slight shimmer or distortion effect around the flag that indicates a special card.
- Multiple Flags/Symbols: In some FIFA versions, special cards or promos may feature additional symbols or flags alongside the nation flag. Pay attention to any unusual visual elements accompanying the flag reveal.
- Country Significance: Over time, you’ll start to recognize which nations tend to produce higher-rated players more frequently. Seeing a flag from a footballing powerhouse like Brazil, France, Germany, or Portugal significantly increases the likelihood of a walkout, or at the very least a high-rated non-walkout.
3. League Reveal Insignia
Following the nation reveal, the league insignia appears. This is another crucial point for identification:
- Insignia Animation: Just like the flag, the league insignia may have a unique animation for walkouts. Look for special effects, such as shimmering or glowing, that set it apart from regular league reveals. A more elaborate animation often means a higher-rated player.
- Insignia Speed: The speed at which the insignia is revealed can also be a clue. A slower, more dramatic reveal often indicates a walkout.
- League Significance: Similar to nations, some leagues tend to feature higher-rated players. Seeing an insignia from a top league like the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, or Ligue 1 increases the odds of a walkout. While this isn’t a guaranteed indication, it raises the probability significantly.
- Sound Cue: Pay attention to the accompanying sound effect during the league reveal. Often, a distinct chime or whoosh sound is used for walkouts to further build the anticipation.
4. Club Reveal Details
The club reveal often is less of an indicator than the nation and league, but there still can be clues:
- Club Badge Visuals: While rarer, some special cards feature unique animations or visual effects during the club badge reveal. Keep an eye out for anything unusual or eye-catching.
- Top Club Associations: Recognising clubs with high profile players might hint toward a special card. Think Real Madrid, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain – if a player is from one of these big clubs, it could be a walkout.
5. Player Reveal Stance and Background
This is the most telling part of the walkout identification process. The player’s stance, pose, and background environment provide clear indicators:
- The Walkout Stance: Walkout players typically have a more dynamic and dramatic stance compared to non-walkout players. They might be striking a pose, flexing their muscles, or performing a signature celebration. This animation is designed to showcase the player’s athleticism and skill.
- Background Effects: Walkouts often feature special background effects, such as spotlights, crowd animations, or dynamic lighting. These effects add to the spectacle and further distinguish walkouts from regular players.
- Card Design: Examine the card design carefully. Special card types (e.g., Team of the Year, Team of the Season, Icons, Heroes) have unique designs that are immediately recognizable. Familiarizing yourself with these designs is crucial for quick identification.
6. Analyzing the Card Design
Even before the rating is revealed, the card design offers important clues:
- Special Card Types: Recognize special card types like TOTW, TOTY, TOTS, Icons, and Heroes by their distinct designs. Each promo has its unique visual style, instantly indicating a potentially valuable pull.
- Color Scheme: Certain card types use specific color schemes. For example, Icons often feature a distinctive bronze or gold color, while Team of the Season cards might have a blue and purple design.
- Dynamic Images: Special cards often feature dynamic images of the player in action, rather than static portraits. These dynamic images add to the visual appeal and help distinguish special cards from regular base cards.
7. Sound Design and Audio Cues
FIFA’s sound design plays a crucial role in building anticipation. Pay attention to the audio cues throughout the pack opening process:
- Unique Sound Effects: Walkouts are often accompanied by distinct sound effects, such as a rising musical crescendo, a cheering crowd, or a dramatic whoosh sound. These audio cues are designed to heighten the excitement and signal a high-rated player.
- Volume Levels: The volume of the sound effects may also increase during a walkout, further emphasizing the significance of the reveal.
- Rhythmic Beats: Listen for specific rhythmic patterns in the music. Walkouts sometimes feature a more pronounced and energetic beat to build anticipation.
Tips and Tricks for Mastering Walkout Identification
Here are some additional tips and tricks to help you master the art of walkout identification:
- Practice Makes Perfect: The more packs you open, the better you’ll become at recognizing the subtle cues and animations associated with walkouts. Consider watching videos of pack openings to familiarize yourself with different walkout scenarios.
- Stay Updated: EA Sports frequently introduces new card types and animations with each FIFA edition. Stay informed about these changes by following FIFA news and community forums.
- Watch Pack Opening Videos: There are countless pack opening videos available on YouTube and other platforms. Watching these videos can help you familiarize yourself with the different walkout animations and audio cues.
- Lower Your Expectations: While it’s exciting to anticipate walkouts, remember that they are relatively rare. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t pack one frequently.
- Learn From Others: Engage with the FIFA community and learn from experienced players. Ask questions, share your experiences, and exchange tips and tricks.
- Record Your Pack Openings: Recording your pack openings allows you to review them later and analyze the cues you may have missed. This can be a valuable learning tool for improving your walkout identification skills.
- Consider streaming your openings: Streaming your pack openings is a good way to get feedback from others, and can add to the fun.
Common Misconceptions About Walkouts
It’s important to address some common misconceptions about walkouts:
- Walkouts are Always the Best Players: While walkouts are typically high-rated, they aren’t always the most valuable players. The market value of a player depends on factors like position, league, nationality, and in-game stats.
- All Special Cards are Walkouts: Not all special cards trigger the walkout animation. Some lower-rated special cards, such as certain Team of the Week players, may not be accompanied by a walkout.
- Every FIFA version is the same: Walkout animations, and the other identifiers mentioned above can change from year to year of FIFA. Keep in mind that guides from previous FIFA versions might not be relevant.
Tools and Resources for Pack Opening
While there aren’t any tools that definitively guarantee walkouts, here are some useful resources to enhance your pack opening experience:
- FUTBIN: FUTBIN is a popular website that provides information on player prices, squad building tools, and pack odds data.
- FIFA Community Forums: Online forums and communities are great places to discuss pack openings, share tips, and learn from other players.
- YouTube: YouTube is a treasure trove of FIFA content, including pack opening videos, tutorials, and gameplay analysis.
The Psychology of Pack Opening
Understanding the psychology behind pack opening can help you approach it with a more realistic and balanced perspective:
- The Gambler’s Fallacy: Avoid the gambler’s fallacy, which is the belief that if you haven’t packed a walkout in a while, you’re due for one. Pack openings are random, and past results don’t influence future outcomes.
- Managing Expectations: Keep your expectations in check and avoid getting too caught up in the hype. Remember that pack opening is a game of chance, and disappointment is inevitable.
- Enjoy the Process: Focus on enjoying the overall pack opening experience, rather than solely fixating on packing walkouts. The anticipation, excitement, and community interaction are all part of the fun.
Adapting to New FIFA Editions
Each new FIFA edition brings changes to pack opening animations, card designs, and walkout indicators. Here’s how to adapt:
- Stay Informed: Follow official FIFA channels and community forums to stay updated on the latest changes and features.
- Experiment and Observe: Spend time opening packs and observing the new animations and visual cues.
- Share Your Findings: Contribute to the FIFA community by sharing your observations and discoveries about walkout identification.
The Future of FIFA Pack Openings
The landscape of FIFA pack openings is constantly evolving. EA Sports continues to introduce new features, card types, and animations to enhance the player experience. As technology advances, we may see even more innovative and engaging pack opening mechanics in the future.
Conclusion
Mastering walkout identification is a rewarding skill that enhances the excitement and strategic depth of FIFA Ultimate Team. By paying close attention to the visual cues, sound effects, and card designs, you can quickly identify high-rated players and make informed decisions about your squad building and market strategies. Remember to practice, stay updated, and engage with the FIFA community to refine your skills and maximize your enjoyment of the game. While pack opening can be exciting, always be mindful of responsible spending and avoid letting it become a financial burden. Enjoy the game, celebrate your successes, and learn from your disappointments. With patience and dedication, you’ll become a true FIFA pack opening expert.