FIFA 22 Ultimate Team promotion calendar: Every FUT special card
FIFA 22 Ultimate Team has already seen its fair share of promotions, and there’s more on the horizon. Here’s a full schedule of every special card we’re expecting to see in FUT this year.
One of the most appealing parts of FIFA 22 Ultimate Team is the constant rollout of fresh promotions and special cards.
Fans were just treated to Team of the Season and Shapeshifters throughout May and June, after Winter Wildcards and TOTY were added to the mode, in addition to FUT Heroes and ICONs in packs all year.
With FIFA 22 content slowly coming to a close, we’ve put together an in-depth calendar and description of every promotion and special card in FIFA 22.
FIFA 22 Ultimate Team promotions
EA likes to keep their cards close to their chest when it comes to promos to keep things surprising at every turn.
That being said, certain special cards have become FUT staples, and return to the mode at a similar time every year.
So while there’s no official full-year schedule, we can look to previous years to come up with a detailed calendar of promotions.
Here is every promo that made its way or will make its way to FIFA 22 Ultimate Team throughout the year.
| Promotion / card name | FIFA 21 start date | Expected FIFA 22 start date | Confirmed |
| Team of the Week | Weekly | Weekly | Yes |
| FUT Heroes | New to FIFA 22 | October 1, 2021 | Yes |
| Ones to Watch | October 6, 2020 | October 1, 2021 | Yes |
| Road to the Knockouts | November 6, 2020 | October 15, 2021 | Yes |
| Rulebreakers | October 23, 2020 | October 29, 2021 | Yes |
| Numbersup | New to FIFA 22 | November 12, 2021 | Yes |
| Signature Signings | New to FIFA 22 | November 26, 2021 | Yes |
| Team of the Group Stage | December 4, 2020 | December 3, 2021 | Yes |
| Versus | New to FIFA 22 | December 10, 2021 | Yes |
| Winter Wildcards | New to FIFA 22 | December 17, 2021 | Yes |
| Headliners | January 1, 2021 | December 31, 2021 | Yes |
| Team of the Year | January 22, 2021 | January 21, 2022 | Yes |
| Future Stars | February 5, 2021 | February 4, 2022 | Yes |
| Road to the Final | December 18, 2020 | February 18, 2022 | Yes |
| Silver Stars Series | N/A | February 25, 2022 | Yes |
| FUT Birthday | March 26, 2021 | March 4, 2022 | Yes |
| Fantasy FUT | N/A | March 18, 2022 | Yes |
| Showdown Series | N/A | April 1, 2022 | Yes |
| FUT Captains | N/A | April 8, 2022 | Yes |
| Team of the Season | April 23, 2021 | April 29, 2022 | Yes |
| Shapeshifters | N/A | June 17, 2022 | Yes |
| FUTTIES | July 16, 2021 | July 15, 2022 | Yes |
Team of the Week
Team of the Week cards have been a staple of Ultimate Team for many years, providing a steady stream of fresh cards based on real-world performances.
Every Wednesday, the best performers from the latest round of domestic or international fixtures are given an upgrade to replace their normal card in packs for that week.
FUT Heroes
FUT Heroes are the first new type of card in FIFA 22, giving a nod to some of the greatest cult figures in world football.
These new cards highlight players who maybe didn’t quite go down in the history of the sport, but made their mark at a specific club.
Ones to Watch
EA’s go-to for kicking off a new season, Ones to Watch cards are dynamic items that could be upgraded consistently throughout the year.
These special cards are awarded to players who have been part of a high-profile move in the latest transfer window and they automatically boost themselves to match the highest-rated TOTW that player has earned.
Road to the Knockouts
Road to the Knockouts is another new promotion for FIFA 22, celebrating the three European competitions clubs can compete during the 2021/22 season – the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League.
- Read more: When is FIFA 22 coming to Xbox Game Pass?
Chosen players whose teams win three out of their last four group stage games, or qualify for the knockout stages, are given permanent boosts to their cards.
Rulebreakers
FIFA traditionally gets a promotion every Halloween. What started as Ultimate Scream changed into Rulebreakers with FIFA 21.
These cards give big boosts to players, but also fundamentally alter the way they play by swapping around their stats.
Sluggish strikers may lose some finishing ability in favor of pace, while attacking full-backs may become solid defenders.
Numbersup
Numbersup is another brand new promotion for FIFA 22 Ultimate Team, backed by the real-world sportswear brand Adidas.
These special cards are selected by EA, with one stat being chosen for regular upgrades throughout the year at times decided by the developer.
This stat will keep receiving boosts until it reaches the maximum of 99 and becomes one of the game’s top cards.
Signature Signings
Ultimate Team’s Signature Signings are items designed to celebrate some of the most successful transfers in recent years.
These players have made incredible contributions to their new teams and earned a one-time Ultimate Team upgrade as a result.
Team of the Group Stage
While Road to the Knockouts rewards team performance, the Team of the Group stage is all about individual brilliance.
These are one-off special cards given to the top performers across every European tournaments group stage, whether it be a prolific goalscorer or anchor at the back.
Versus
FUT Freeze was such a monumental hit in FIFA 21 Ultimate Team, so it was a bit of a surprise to see it altered in FIFA 22. However, Versus upped the ante by offering two versions of the same stat boosted player.
Instead of just one ‘freeze’ card, there is also a contrasting ‘fire card.’ One player will have two different upgrade cards possible, similar to the Rulebreakers SBC.
Winter Wildcards
EA aren’t afraid to think outside of the box and just when you think you know what to expect from the next promo they deliver a surprise.
The Winter Wildcards promo was heavily inspired by last year’s FUT Freeze. As with most promos, a stat boost is administered to the players involved but strangely enough, only some players were seen in a new position.
Headliners
Headliners is a promotion that celebrates the best players of the season so far and gives them an extremely desirable card.
These dynamic items always stay one rating higher than a player’s highest-rated Team of the Week, meaning they can continue to grow throughout the year.
Team of the Year
The most prestigious and expensive cards in every FUT season, Team of the Year collects a squad of the best players from the previous 12 months and gives them an incredible stat boost. TOTY is only reserved for the best of the best, and 99-rated cards aren’t unusual to see.
This has made them some of the rarest and most overpowered players in Ultimate Team history.
Future Stars
Future Stars is all about the youngsters who are set to light up the world stage in the years to come.
While their base cards might be unusable because of their age, Future Stars cards are a glimpse at what a starlet may look like if they live up to their full potential.
Road to the Final
RTTF is finally making its way to FIFA 22 and thanks to the dynamic player items up for grabs, fans of Ultimate Team are truly excited.
Road to the Finals is designed to highlight players taking part in Europe’s three major club competitions and the players involved in the promo will receive upgrades at select stages from the knockout rounds to the Final.
Silver Stars Series
The Silver Stars Series shifted the focus to Silver cards in FIFA 22. While no new promo cards were added to packs, each day EA released additional Silver Stars cards that were available through either SBCs or Objectives.
These particular Silver cards offered notable upgrades to some players while also highlighting Flashback versions of Marco Reus, Paul Pogba, and Kevin De Bruyne.
FUT Birthday
Every year, EA celebrates Ultimate Team’s birthday with a festival full of quirky cards, SBCs, and objectives.
This is where FIFA looks back at the fan-favorite players who have dominated previous FUT years and brings them back with big upgrades via the FUT Birthday promo.
Fantasy FUT
Fantasy FUT is an updated version of FIFA 21’s What If promo that saw players earn upgrades if their clubs met specific real-life criteria. Fantasy FUT has made it easier for featured players to earn upgrades.
As of April 1, 2022, players can earn upgrades by completing one of the three listed requirements in the next five matches:
- Play 3 matches in the next 5 games
- Win 1 match in the next 5 games
- Attackers and Midfielders score 1 goal or earn 1 assist in 5 games OR Defenders and Goalkeepers keep 1 clean sheet in the next 5 games
Showdown Series
Showdown Series is an entirely new promo concept that arrived in FIFA 22. Much like Silver Stars, it’s a promo that provides special cards through SBCs and Objectives rather than through packs.
The promo will highlight two players from an upcoming football fixture. The outcome of the real-life football match will result in upgrades for the players involved. The winner will receive a +2 upgrade, while a tie will result in a +1 upgrade for both players.
FUT Captains
Yet another brand-new campaign for FIFA 22, FUT Captains places the spotlight on the best skippers both past and present. Some of football’s best-known captains will be given ridiculously juiced cards to place them firmly in the FUT meta.
The FUT Heroes that debuted in FIFA 22 will also see revamp. Despite the positive response to some of the game’s cult heroes making a comeback, they don’t stack up compared to some of the incredible promo cards that have come since.
With FUT Captains, the likes of Robbie Keane and Antonio Di Natale could become viable once again.
Team of the Season
Possibly the most popular promotion in all of FIFA, Team of the Season rewards the best players from every major league for their displays throughout the real football season.
Every week, a new league of TOTS players are placed in packs with massive upgrades from their normal cards.
- Read more: FIFA 23: All new leagues, teams, & stadiums
There are also plenty of SBCs and objectives to complete, as well as a fan-voted team to take part in.
Shapeshifters
The Shapeshifters promo is well-liked by Ultimate Team fans thanks to its unique quality of changing players’ traditional positions. The Shapeshifters promo takes players out of their normal position and opens the door to new squad-building opportunities.
In FIFA 22 the promo is filled with some truly incredible cards like Lionel Messi and Heung Min Son. Furthermore, in addition to position changes and rating increases, players also received upgrades to skill moves and weak foot.
FUTTIES
While most other promotions are based on real-life football, FUTTIES is a victory lap for the current version of FIFA itself.
Throughout the event, meta players who have been popular throughout the year, like Vinicius Junior, Mane, or Ben Yedder, are pitted against each other in fan votes.
The winner is given a heavily upgraded FUTTIES card to help them compete with the hundreds of other special players in everyone’s club.
So there you have it, that was every single promotion and special card we’re expecting to land in FUT this year. EA may well have some more tricks up their sleeve, so stay tuned to Charlie INTEL for the latest updates.
For more on FIFA news, check out our guide to FIFA 23 including leaks, Ultimate Team changes, and details of a World Cup mode.
Image credits: EA