EA has made another scandalous green statement, claiming that FIFA players “love” the FUT Packs, the game’s loot boxes.

Loot boxes have been a scourge on the games industry for years. Some of them are harmless, but many of them can cause problems. They have become so problematic that they have caused a severe backlash in many games, such as Call of Duty, leading to significant franchises adopting other monetisation strategies, such as battle passes, which have been much better received. With that said, sports franchises still have loot boxes because they bring in a lot of money and are essential to how these titles operate. There is no better example of this than FIFA, which allows you to buy and earn card packs that give you random players and other goodies.

In a new statement to Eurogamer, EA defends FUT packs and says gamers love them. Despite this, EA will double the FUT packs in countries where it is allowed, but noted that it “does not encourage spending as opposed to earning rewards” and that choosing to buy them is optional. The announcement comes after the UK decided not to regulate loot boxes, something other European countries are considering doing, and has even been banned in Belgium, noting that it is a form of gambling.

“We wholeheartedly believe that Ultimate Team and FUT Packs, which have been a part of the game for more than a decade, are a part of FIFA that players love – fans love that the game reflects the real excitement and strategy of team building and management,” EA said. “Giving players the choice to spend if they want is fair. It’s worth saying that spending is completely optional in our game, and we don’t encourage spending as opposed to earning rewards through play. FUT packs work the same way whether you pay for them or earn them, and most players don’t spend in-game at all. For example, nine of the 10 FUT Packs opened in FIFA 22 have been earned.”

Given that there’s a whole genre of videos on YouTube of people opening FUT Packs, there are probably some people who really like them. However, it is an interesting statement considering how controversial loot boxes have been in the game. The fact that governments are considering regulating them shows that there is definitely a stigma attached to them.

Do you like loot boxes or FUT Packs? Share with us in the comments.

Source : Eurogamer