FIFA 23 will mark the end of the long collaboration of Electronic Arts with FIFA, but it will not mark the end of loot box by FIFA, as EA has confirmed that they will be returning to this year’s game as well.
It seemed possible that EA could finally pull the plug on the controversial FUT Packs, which can be earned through the game or purchased for real money and contain content such as players and items. In FIFA 21, EA introduced a new formula called Preview Packs, which allowed players to see the contents of the packs before purchasing them, thus eliminating the element of randomness. Furthermore, in recent years, there has been growing opposition to loot boxes, which has led to greater control of their most predatory practices and even a real ban in some countries.
On the other hand, FIFA Ultimate Team is still hugely popular and FUT packs make a lot of money. EA did not share specific figures in its latest quarterly report, but described the series as “exceptionally strong on a global basis“and stated that player engagement has increased nearly 40% from the previous year. This is based on a compound annual growth rate of nearly 50% over the past fiscal decade, which has generated sales for nearly 1 year. , $ 5 billion in fiscal 2020 alone.
The website of FIFA 23 makes a passing reference to loot boxes in the new FIFA Ultimate Team, stating that players can redeem a new currency called Stars “for players, packs and more“. In a statement sent to Eurogamer.netEA confirmed the return of the packages and defended monetization practices in general.
“We strongly believe that the Ultimate Team and FUT Packs, which have been a part of the game for more than ten years, are a part of FIFA that players love and fans love that the game reflects real-world emotion and strategy in building and in managing a team“said EA.”Giving players the ability to spend if they want is right“.
“It is worth mentioning that spending is entirely optional in our game and we do not encourage spending over earning rewards through the game. FUT packs work the same way whether they are paid or earned, and most players don’t spend at all in the game. For example, nine out of 10 FUT Packs opened in FIFA 22 have been earned“.
One thing that is still unclear is whether the Preview Packs will return to FIFA 23 as well.
Source: PCGamer.
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