EA Finds Itself In Another FIFA Controversy

We find ourselves in a FIFA scandal almost every month now. So what is it this time? As a result of the documents revealed by CBC News, it was revealed that EA wanted to make FIFA players addicted to the FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) mode?

Here are two documents that seem to be taken from the CBC News presentation. On slide one, EA states, “FUT is the cornerstone, and we’re doing everything we can to drive players there.” A section titled “All roads lead to FUT” reveals that players from other modes are encouraged by FIFA’s in game systems towards FUT mode.

EA said the unearthed documents were viewed out of context. They also stated that “All EA games can be played without spending in-game items and most players do not need to spend money.”. Such a cliché answer…

You can read EA’s full statement here.

Loot boxes have been under scrutiny for years because of their connection to gambling. Many publishers have changed how they sell in-game items in response to these kinds of criticism. Epic Games removed the hidden loot boxes in Fortnite’s “Save the World” mode in 2019. It now allows players to see what’s inside before purchasing. Bungie also removed the ability to buy paid loot boxes from Destiny 2 in 2020. Likewise, EA removed in-game purchases from Star Wars Battlefront 2 in 2017. Of course, that was because of a huge controversy that resulted in the most disliked comment on Reddit.

Patrick Söderlund, EA’s former chief design officer, promised to learn from their mistakes and get better. However, when we look at FIFA’s FUT system, we clearly see the hypocrisy. At the end of the day, I don’t think EA will make any changes to the FUT system as FIFA players are generally more indifferent when it comes to loot systems.

At the end of the day, the majority stays silent in this matter. Since EA is a company, it will of course do everything it can to generate revenue. Since most big states also choose to stay silent in this matter, it is up to the players to confront companies regarding their anti consumer tactics.