Black Friday on the Horizon: A Deep Dive into This Week’s FC PRO SBC Landscape

The night before the Black Friday promotion in FC is always charged with a familiar mix of anticipation and strategic consideration. The card pool is shifting, new Squad Building Challenges (SBCs) have arrived, and the urge to utilize all available resources is strong. However, this precise moment—right before the major promotional activities begin—is often when strategic players pause to assess which content truly merits attention.

The past week of FC PRO content introduced a lengthy list of new SBCs, but surprisingly few stand out as essential completions. In reality, one of the most compelling options is the upgraded Rocket silver card SBC. Despite being presented as an accessible challenge, its combination of Pace, Shooting, and Passing potential already performs effectively for its tier. The card responds well to applied chemistry styles, and its current evolutionary path makes significant further upgrades to its key offensive attributes unlikely. Therefore, its value is largely fixed at its present state—and in that state, it represents a strong use of resources for many squads. For players uncertain where to allocate club assets, this SBC is a low-risk, high-reward option.

Collectors and longtime football fans often have different priorities. For those with fondness for specific legends or national icons, cards like the End of an Era series releases can carry significant nostalgic appeal. What makes certain versions special isn't just sentiment; some offer a unique and valuable chemistry structure, providing club links that surpass even some Icon cards. In an environment anticipating high SBC activity post-Black Friday, such affordable chemistry solutions can become uniquely valuable for squad building, solving flexibility problems that more expensive cards might not address.

Not every SBC this week carries that kind of practical value. Several options fall short primarily because their cost does not align well with the anticipated market shifts following the Black Friday promotion. For instance, the Flashback Zhekalai card returns but, without the specific in-game mechanics that defined its impact in a previous cycle, its effectiveness is perceived as limited. While some players may complete SBCs for players like Hazard or Di Natale out of personal preference, their current in-game impact is widely considered to be outside the top tier of meta options. Those planning for upcoming content may find more lasting value in certain high-end defensive SBCs, should they become available at a reasonable cost, as forwards are often subject to rapid power inflation during major promotions.

The rolling upgrade SBCs generated considerable discussion this week. They function as a precursor to the full Black Friday cycle, though the system currently feels incomplete. It is widely expected that additional upgrade segments, such as player picks, will be added to complete the "rolling" loop. Once those are in place, the system's full value can be assessed.

The currently available 85-87 rated player pack SBC, however, is widely regarded as worthwhile. Its cost is relatively low, the completion requirements have been eased by the availability of other upgrade options, and the pool of possible players is strong, having been recently updated with desirable cards. This creates a favorable risk-to-reward scenario, making it a recommended completion for players with sufficient resources before potential market adjustments.

Daily SBC menus like Advanced Mixed, Hybrid Leagues, and Hybrid Nations move down the priority list this week, as they can be time-consuming to complete manually, especially when players are focusing on rolling upgrades. Marquee Matchups remains a consistent source of return, and specific segments of the Intercontinental SBCs continue to offer good value for clubs with untradeable player items.

A notable development is the pricing of the 91-Rated Maximum Icon Player Pack. Its cost is set only slightly above that of lower-rated maximum Icon packs, which analysts interpret as a design to encourage the use of accumulated player resources before the major promotion. With many players having strengthened their defensive lines through recent evolutions and upgrades, these Icon packs serve as an outlet for surplus high-rated cards, generating engagement while helping stabilize certain areas of the in-game market ahead of Friday's content drop. Even players saving resources for future promotions like Team of the Year may find this a reasonable destination for leftover assets.

As for other available SBCs—such as lower-tier upgrade packs and certain high-cost picks—they are generally considered less optimal compared to the highest-value options currently available. With Black Friday imminent, any content offering suboptimal value is likely to be quickly overshadowed.

In summary, the strategic approach to this week's FC PRO content centers on three principles: complete the one standout, high-value SBC; evaluate nostalgic or preference-based choices honestly rather than impulsively; and wait for the rolling upgrade system to be fully revealed before committing a large volume of resources. Black Friday represents a strategic turning point; the players who navigate it most effectively are typically those who make selective, informed decisions rather than attempting to complete everything available.