As fans of the series will know, FIFA 23 marks the end of era as the partnership between Electronic Arts (EA) and FIFA comes to an end. Many people thought that this farewell would be seen as a good opportunity to dispose with the FUT packs (loot boxes) that have been a subject of some controversy.
However, it seems that this is not the case. EA has provided more information about FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) prior to the release of FIFA 2023. This includes confirmation that purchasing FUT packs will remain as part of the game.
Decision of UK government likely influenced decision
A section on EA’s website contains the confirmation which follows speculation that the loot box formula may be scrapped this time around. The fact that this does not appear to be the case might suggest that EA has been influenced by a recent UK government decision regarding loot boxes in games.
We spoke to a representative from justgamblers.com who has been following the government’s position in this area. He told us,
“In July, the UK government confirmed that it was not going to take any regulatory measures against loot boxes in video games which was a surprise to some people. The government stated it had decided the system was not a form of gambling and that it preferred to work with developers and providers to make sure that such gaming systems are safe.
It’s possible that this announcement has influenced EA in making its decision about FUT packs. This is especially likely because there is a huge player base for FIFA games in the UK.”
It’s not possible to determine exactly how much influence the report from the UK government had on EA when the company was making its choice. However, it has provided some insights into the reasons behind its decision.
EA insists that the inclusion of FUT Packs is the right decision
In making the decision to include FUT packs in FIFA 23, EA has provided the background to its reasoning. This background includes the fact that the packs (aka loot boxes) have been a feature of the game for more than ten years and are popular with players.
According to EA, fans of the game like the fact that packs recreate the excitement of building and managing a real squad. The company also places emphasis on the fact that players do not have to buy packs, the choice is an individual one.
According to figures, most of the FUT packs used in the game are earned rather than bought. This is the case for nine out of every ten packs. This suggests that most FIFA players do not spend in game at all or spend very little.
Given these details, and the decision of the UK government, it’s easy to see why EA has made the decision to keep the loot box system for FIFA 23 and made FUT packs available to buy although this choice is not popular with everyone.