EA Sued for Loot Boxes in FIFA Ultimate Team Mode

7.02.2020, 16:29

EA has been accused of using illegal gambling methods in FIFA Ultimate Team mode due to their loot box methodology with two separate lawsuits filed against the company in France. Both of the lawsuits imply that EA has a mode that is unregulated gambling.

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The Ultimate Team Mode

Two Paris lawyers filed separate lawsuits aimed at the EA’s Ultimate Team Mode. This mode has been present since FIFA 09 and within the mode, players get the ability to create their dream teams by either spending the in-game currency or real money on buying card packs that generate randomly generated players.

If you are not aware, gambling software uses random generated numbers technique to ensure fairness in the game and randomly generated players seems like the same technique which is what the lawyers are aiming at.

Since the content of the card packs isn’t known until it gets opened by buying the pack, therefore, according to the lawyers, this is a form of gambling.

The Loot Boxes

Loot boxes have been under recent fire worldwide. In 2018, Belgium’s Gaming Commission prohibited the loot boxes by finding that they are “in violation of gambling legislation”. Victor Zagury, one of the two Paris lawyers referenced this event as an example saying that “In this game, everyone wants to have a dream team to go as far as possible…My client spent €600 in five months without ever getting a big player. The developers of this game mode have created an illusionary and particularly addictive system.”

According to Victor, they believe that a gambling software has been incorporated within the mode since buying the card packs is just like placing a bet and the mode entices gambling behavior and that the real danger lies in the fact that teenagers or even kids can without restrictions play the Ultimate Team Mode and buy the packs since there is no parental control present. This means that children could gamble.

Zagury is representing Mamadou, who spent €600 playing Ultimate Team mode since the game got released late in 2019. Mamadou says that it is frustrating and that he constantly has the urge to buy more packs even though he says to himself that it is the last time he does so. After having spent so much money, Mamadou’s best player is Kostas Manolas from Napoli, a player unknown to him. Mamadou further implies that some of his friends spent a lot more money on the game and that he is late on rent payments because of the packs.

EA Flirt with Gambling

EA are perhaps the most notorious abusers of the loot box mechanics. From the infamous Star Wars: Battlefront 2 debacle to the claim that loot boxes are surprise mechanics, the company has been under fire forever. In reality, the practice has started long before the mainstream disdain for loot boxes has been around and originates in the previous FIFA installments.