FIFA 23 FUT Birthday Mini Release: Upgrades and Ratings

With EA's Twin Upgrades mini release for FUT Birthday arriving, quality content keeps coming to FIFA 23 Ultimate Team. There are plenty of new players, challenges, and rewards released as part of this year's FUT Birthday event. FUT Birthday Icons released for the first time, and the FUT Birthday Party objectives also feature great rewards. Let's take a close look at the FIFA 23 FUT Birthday mini release players and their ratings:

FIFA 23 FUT Birthday Mini Release

After releasing FUT Birthday Team 1 and the FUT Birthday Icons on Friday, March 24, EA is now following it up by releasing a mini release of three more players. Oleksandr Zinchenko, Darwin Nunez, and Koke released on Sunday, March 26, and all three players will be available in packs until Friday, March 31. Each player also got two unique versions in what EA is calling "Twin Upgrades."

What Are Twin Upgrades?

According to EA, "FUT Birthday Twin Upgrades bring two versions of the same Player Item into the Ultimate Team pool of currently available pack items at the same time: one with 5* Skill Moves and the other with 5* Weak Foot, each built to suit different squad needs and playstyles." As Darwin Nunez's early prices show, a lot of fans are going for the 5-Star Skill Moves version, since its value is above 1 million coins.

FIFA 23 FUT Birthday Mini Release Ratings

Oleksandr Zinchenko (90 GEN)

The mini release's highest-rated player is Arsenal left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko, who gets a big upgrade to 90 GEN. His 90 Pace is split between a 95 Acceleration and 86 Sprint Speed, which brings his top speed lower than you'd want. A solid defender, the Ukrainian's 88 Defensive Awareness and 88 Standing Tackle make him a reliable option. Going forward, Zinchenko's passing is expected to be strong, with 90 Short Passing and 90 Crossing.

Darwin Nunez (89 GEN)

The new FUT Birthday Darwin Nunez should be deployed as a central forward. Liverpool's summer signing boasts 94 Strength and 95 Pace. With 90 Finishing, he's also boosting his Dribbling stats, and we'll have a chemistry style recommendation for improving that.

Koke (88 GEN)

Add a Shadow chemistry style to Koke's FUT Birthday item and you'll have an excellent defensive midfielder. His 80 Pace isn't ideal, but with the Shadow style, his 97 Stamina makes him very useful for covering the whole pitch. He's also technically sound, with 92 Short Passing, 90 Long Passing, and 87 Ball Control to keep things ticking over in midfield.