EA Sports Insists Players Love 'FIFA' Loot Boxes

As the gaming industry continues to grow immensely thanks to microtransactions, the feature has come under fire from both players and regulators alike in recent years, with some research even indicating that its effects are similar to that of gambling addictions. Despite these criticisms, however, EA Sports is now insisting that FIFA players actually love loot boxes.

In a statement from the publishing giant to Eurogamer, EA claims that FIFA Ultimate Team packs are core to the game’s experience and the fan base actually prefers to have them. “We wholeheartedly believe that Ultimate Team and FUT Packs, which have been part of the game for more than a decade, are a part of FIFA that players love,” the company writes. “Fans love that the game reflects the real-world excitement and strategy of building and managing a squad. Giving players the choice to spend if they want to is fair.”

While there’s no sign of EA slowing down on microtransactions any time soon, it did warn players not to overspend on them. “It’s worth saying that spending is entirely optional in our game, and we do not encourage spending over earning rewards through gameplay,” the statement added. “FUT Packs work in just the same way whether they are paid for or earned, and most players don’t spend in-game at all. For example, nine out of 10 FUT Packs opened in FIFA 22 were earned.”

In other gaming news, THQ Nordic will be rebooting Alone In the Dark for current-gen platforms.