At 4am ET, Aug 21, NFL Rivals goes down for maintenance and comes back in Year 3 mode. From Aug 21 to NFL Kickoff, it’s Training Camp features are live, but we’re still tuning.
Why the Change?
We tore down the playbook and rebuilt it for fairness, fun, and a smoother start for everyone.
Key Changes in Year 3:
- Base Cards retired → auto-quicksold into Training Points.
- Training Points → Card XP, earned by feeding other cards.
- Rank Up Tokens replace Training Tokens for milestone upgrades.
- Locked Cards now the default; mint with flexible, rarity-based Mint Tokens to trade/sell.
- Lower pack prices + better card value for all players.
- Season 3 minted cards get an extra rank, star, and 5 bonus levels.
Modes & Systems Revamped:
- Stadiums Mode – Skill-based matchmaking, real-time PvP, 10 unique stadiums, coin entry, crate rewards, no timers, unlimited play.
- Leagues – Now passive; standings tied to coins won in Stadiums/Events. 7-day seasons, better crate rewards.
- Events – Same vibe, smarter segmentation by League tier, coin entry, fairer matchups.
- Crafting – Bigger role with locked cards.
- Synergy – Resets; Y3 synergy only from minted cards.
- Squads – Ranking based on Stadium/Event performance; big updates planned post-launch.
Launch Set:
- 800+ new locked cards, 1 legendary (145–150 PWR) per team.
Y3 FAQs
"Can you confirm that Y1/Y2 items can be ranked up with new Y3 resources?"
Yes.
"And those Y1/Y2 items will be able to achieve Y3 synergy rows?"
Yes.
"What happens to Y2 players with achievement boosts available (such as 2025 Rookies, 2025 Sleepers) Will we be able to turn them into Y3 players?"
Nothing changes to the functionality of old players. They can still be used in Stadiums and events, get bonuses, etc. They will be able to be powered up using the Y3 system and resources.
"What happens to my weights, clocks, and film points?"
They will all be converted to new rank up material.
"What about blueprints?"
Blueprints will still be sellable, they will not be automatically turned into Y3 XP. Blueprints can be used to level up players and will reward more progress than non tradeable items.
"How about Y2 Synergy?"
Synergy tokens were called Y2 Synergy tokens because they can only be used in Y2. As synergy resets, we start new and Y3 Synergy tokens will be used. Use them all up, because it resets for Y3. All synergy gets reset.
"What will happen to Auto-Win tickets?"
They will go away as there is no additional use for them in Y3 with solo mode gone.
"Can you tell me more about Mythical leveling and Y3 Conversion?"
If you were to execute the craft that requires the Year 2 Hutchinson card (or any other player in this program that has a corresponding Y3 craft, for that matter) to the Year 3 version you will get the Year 3 locked version at Level 1. You will also receive a Mythical mint token along with it to unlock the final five levels of card progression. The Crafting system doesn’t care what level the cards you’re burning are. You get the same reward regardless of whether the burned cards are Level 1 or Level 25. A reminder that it’s a brand it’s just a brand new card that you’re acquiring, and for Year 3 not Year 2.
"Power Boost for non-synergized players?"
Only Y3 players will get an additional star when minted and 5 new levels. Maxed out Y2 players will remain at their current cap.
"With minted items having access to 5 additional levels, is this incremental to the rarity level caps that we know today?"
Yes.
"How will we earn mint tokens?"
Mix of engagement and shop.
"What will be unlimited play, and what won’t?"
Only Stadiums will be unlimited play.
"Will events still be structured as a set number of games and what advantage, if any, do people get for just playing more games in stadium and league?"
Yes, events will still have fuel. But rewards that count towards Leagues/Squads standings will be based on leaderboard placement, not on how many games you play in the event. There will not be any play in Leagues. Leagues placement will be defined by performance in Stadiums/Events. Playing in Stadium will provide lots of cards that will help with team or level ups. Plus, as said above, Stadiums will help with League placement. But it all depends on win/rate. Only winning counts for Leagues/Squads. It’s sync PvP, don’t expect 100% win rate like currently. If one player wins, another loses.
"When we burn an item to level up another player, does this cover both levels and milestones, or just levels?"
Burning items (that are not duplicates or “same name”) will only contribute to leveling up. Rank up tokens and/or duplicates will be used for milestones.
"Does anything happen to locked players?"
No, they will remain locked.
"How does the 800 new cards impact chase event players? Will we still be playing events to win program LEs?"
Program events will reward program items at the top, same as now. There will be packs from the 800 as well, same as we had done with base players.
"So there will be no more base players, which means no more gem games?"
Correct. No more dedicated events where the reward is purely gems.
"Will anything change regarding the utility of gems?"
Gems will be adjusted to the new economy and systems
"Will there still be win bonuses?"
Yes.
"What happens to unopened packs?"
If those packs are opened once Y3 begins, the items will automatically convert into Y3 resources.
Bottom Line:
This isn’t just a reset, it’s a relaunch. We’re closing the gap, making the game fairer, and giving every player a shot at building their dream team.
Kickoff:
Aug 21, 4am ET — maintenance. Then it’s game time.
