FIFA UltimateTeam It has been one of the greatest successes of Electronic Arts in its entire history. East game mode allows players to create the football team of their dreams. And on paper, FUT is great, but their selling methods are pretty questionable. Now, a year after acknowledging that this game mode is a very important part of its business, Electronic Arts seems to have skipped FUT match in its report to the SECthe United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
FUT, a dangerous game for the most vulnerable
The FIFA UltimateTeam it’s almost a FIFA mode as controversial as popular. The players of FIFA UltimateTeam they buy envelopes virtual letters in which they will randomly receive players from different teams. There are several cards for each player, and, just like when we collected soccer cards, there are cards that are more difficult to get than others.
In the gaming world, the FUT business model is known as ‘loot boxes’ or ‘loot boxes‘. Basically, the user pays an amount for a number of ‘virtual envelopes’ and will receive a product with a random value in return. Most of the time, players will be dealt very poor, almost useless cards, but the system is set up in such a way that it is very easy for users to get hooked on this system.
Accusations of promoting gambling change Electronic Arts’ strategy
Electronic Arts has been accused many times of promoting gambling to minors. In fact, FIFA UltimateTeam has already been banned in several countries for incite gambling. The simile that we have made above with the collectible cards is not a coincidence; every time EA is accused of its unethical practices, its directors defend themselves by saying that the game is like the LaLiga collectibles of a lifetime. And no, it’s not true, because Ultimate Team, like many other ‘gachas’, works like a slot machine.
The fifa ultimate team revenue They have grown year after year since it was introduced. In 2017, EA began to publish its results reports separating the games, and both industry experts and shareholders themselves could see the true weight that this FIFA game mode had within the Electronic Arts accounts. Since then, FUT has generated the following net income:
- 2017: 775 million dollars
- 2018: $1.18 billion
- 2019: $1.37 billion
- 2020: $1.49 billion
- 2021: 1,620 million dollars
In 2021, FIFA Ultimate Team provided the 29% of Electronic Arts revenue. However, problems are piling up for the Redwood City studio. Their game is a success, but more and more international organizations ask them for explanations about the dubious morality of their business model, which is evidenced by that increase in income.
In the report that EA has just presented to the SEC, the study has returned to its origins, and no longer splits FUT match, so it will not be so easy to know how much they earn with this controversial game mode. Obviously, they are not doing anything illegal, but the maneuver is quite surprising. In the report that they have presented to the SEC, it can be seen that EA has had to pay a 10 million euro fine in the Netherlands, being accused of violating the gambling laws of that country, and everything indicates that it will not be the last time. that they have to face a court for this matter.
