After YouTuber ScudzTV posted a calculation showing how expensive and time-consuming it is to obtain top cards in FIFA 21, EA responded and addressed the calculation.
This is the calculation in question: FIFA YouTuber ScudzTV calculated that it would either require 900 hours of gameplay or cost 100,000 euros to build a top team in FIFA 21 Ultimate Team. This calculation was made after EA assured in an interview with The Mirror that all items in the game can be “obtained without ever spending money, with purchases being completely optional.”
EA Rejects Criticism and Defends Ultimate Team
This is what EA Sports says: In a new interview with Mirror Football, EA addresses the YouTuber’s criticism and questions “the premise of these theories.”
EA criticizes that the calculation contains “many assumptions.” For instance, “you cannot calculate how many coins you can earn through trading, as it depends on the trader’s skills.” Additionally, EA points out the lack of mention of SBCs (Squad Building Challenges), tasks, and drafts, which also contribute to building one’s club.
Then the developer explains: “FIFA is a game of skills. A player’s ability is the biggest factor in the outcome of matches or challenges in FIFA – a strong player can be successful, regardless of whether their team consists of bronze, silver, gold cards, or a mix.”
“You don’t need the highest-rated players to win. In the real world, no football club has the best players in all 11 positions.”
Subsequently, EA compares the football simulation to real football and states: “Investing in FIFA is a decision that players can make, just like in the real world. Some clubs are built through investments, and this is the decision of owners, front offices, and managers in real sports, just as it is in EA Sports FIFA.”
However, if you want to have the best players in your team to get better for Ultimate, you could do that without additional investment and “start an online match and select Liverpool, Manchester City, or PSG there.”
That’s why the topic is so sensitive: EA is constantly faced with accusations of Pay2Win in Ultimate Team. Players who invest a lot of money in FIFA can get a competitive team much faster than players who refrain from using real money.
Interestingly, there’s the test conducted by YouTuber Trymacs, which shows what happens when one invests over 4,000 euros in FUT.
The problem mainly lies with the probabilities of top cards in packs, which make it almost impossible to pack the best cards in the game. While there are ways to obtain strong special cards like Guendouzi through gameplay without coins, most of these players become insufficient over time to keep up with the absolute top stars.
Furthermore, many FUT players are frustrated by the weak rewards of the highly competitive Weekend League. These need a complete overhaul:
