The operator picked a manager in the FUT hub, then found no manager on the
pre-match squad. The save was NOT the problem: the host logged three
`route=squad-replace status=200 outcome=ok detail=[]` with no unresolved ref,
Core wrote the `squad_managers` row, and every read projected the assignment
back. The client simply had nothing to draw.
`squad.manager[]` was emitted as a bare `[{id, dream}]`. That looked
retail-faithful, and the previous commit defended it on the grounds that no
capture had ever shown otherwise. Re-reading the captures with a populated
manager in hand shows why that was the wrong conclusion: every retail capture
carrying the bare form has `id: 0` — an EMPTY manager. None of them ever
demonstrated that a POPULATED ref renders without its item, because none of them
had one. `plan-2026-08-05-families.md` says as much outright: "FUN_18013d1f0 was
never read for a staff member".
The squad object is self-contained everywhere else: `players[].itemData` carries
the whole card rather than an id resolved out of band. The manager is the same
kind of slot in the same object, and the one implementation that ever drove a
working manager — the Python oracle's squad — emits `id` BESIDE `itemData`.
The element shapes differ and both are now pinned by tests: a player slot is
`{index, itemData, kitNumber}`, the manager is `{id, itemData, dream}`.
So the manager is projected through `resolve_staff` and its item embedded with
`shape_staff_item`, the same 11-key record `/club` serves. An assignment with no
resolvable staff identity still yields `[]` rather than a fabricated ref.
`STAFF_CONTRACT` moves next to `shape_staff_item` in `fut::item` (re-exported
from `club_response`) so `/club` and the squad cannot disagree about the
contract the client checks before kickoff.
Verified on the restored club: userMassInfo, /squad/0 and /squad/active all
carry the manager with resourceId 1000509, contract 7 and the nation/league/team
the client cannot supply itself. Adapter 217 lib + 25 integration, host 114 lib +
36 host_test and every economy suite green.
OpenFUT
⚠️ Status — see
docs/PROJECT_STATE.md(canonical). The working, actively-developed target is FIFA 17, not FIFA 23. Everything below this banner describes the superseded FIFA 23bridgelineage and is kept for historical context.Run the server (canonical):
cd fifa17-recon/docker/fifa17-python && docker compose up -d— seefifa17-recon/FUT-RUNBOOK.md.openfut-coreis the shared offline backend (still used by the FIFA 17 path);openfut-bridgeis the retired FIFA 23 integration.
Offline Ultimate Team — like SPT, but for FIFA 23.
OpenFUT replaces EA's retired FUT servers with a fully offline, single-player backend. You own FIFA 23 legitimately. You just want to keep playing after EA shut down the servers.
Repositories
| Repo | Purpose |
|---|---|
openfut-core |
Game-independent offline FUT backend |
openfut-bridge |
FIFA 23 integration layer + reverse-engineering proxy |
Architecture
FIFA 23 client
│
▼
┌─────────────────┐
│ openfut-bridge │ ← intercepts FUT traffic, maps routes, logs unknown
└────────┬────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────┐
│ openfut-core │ ← offline FUT backend: profiles, packs, squads, SBCs
└─────────────────┘
│
▼
SQLite database
Core is game-independent. It speaks a clean REST API and knows nothing about FIFA 23 internals.
Bridge is FIFA-specific. It speaks FIFA 23's wire protocol and translates it into Core API calls. Bridge is where all reverse engineering work happens.
Current Status
| Feature | Status |
|---|---|
| Local profiles + clubs | ✅ Working |
| Coin system | ✅ Working |
| Pack generator | ✅ Working |
| Card collection | ✅ Working |
| Squad builder | ✅ Working |
| Objectives engine | ✅ Working |
| SBC engine | ✅ Working |
| Match rewards | ✅ Working |
| NPC transfer market | ✅ Working |
| Statistics | ✅ Working |
| FIFA 23 integration | 🔴 Reverse engineering in progress |
| Chemistry calculation | 🟡 In progress |
| Full Draft mode | 🟡 In progress |
| Squad Battles AI generator | 🟡 In progress |
| Objectives claim flow | 🟡 In progress |
Running
# Start the offline backend
cd openfut-core
cargo run
# Start the proxy (for traffic capture / FIFA integration)
cd openfut-bridge
cargo run
Core listens on http://127.0.0.1:8080 by default.
Bridge listens on http://127.0.0.1:8443 by default.
Design Principles
- Offline-first. No EA account required. No internet connection needed.
- Single-player only. This is not a multiplayer server emulator.
- Data-driven. All cards, packs, SBCs, and objectives are JSON files. Everything is moddable.
- Clean architecture. Core has zero knowledge of FIFA 23. Bridge has zero game logic.
- No copyrighted assets. No real player images, no EA trademarks in data files.
Disclaimer
This project is not affiliated with EA Sports. You must own FIFA 23 legitimately to use this software. This project does not bypass any ownership verification and is intended only to restore offline playability of a game whose online services have been retired.