As soon as there is further news, we will keep you updated here at MeinMMO. Another FIFA player has just received a lifetime ban from EA games. The reason came from a completely different direction – and is a topic in the current MeinMMO podcast.
In FIFA 21 allegations have been made that strong icon cards are being secretly sold for real money to players. EA Sports has now provided an update regarding the ongoing investigation.
What has happened: Last week, screenshots surfaced suggesting that some of the most expensive cards in FIFA 21 Ultimate Team may have been sold for real money directly to individual players.
You can find everything about the original incident regarding the icon sales in FIFA 21 here.
The FIFA community shared images of chats in which a supposed EA employee offered so-called Prime Icon Moments and TOTY cards for a lot of money, which were then loaded onto players’ accounts. Apparently, a sort of black market situation had formed for the best cards in Ultimate Team. EA subsequently announced an investigation.
EA has now commented on the situation again and provided an update on the investigations.
EA Announces Consequences
In a lengthy post, EA reiterated its response to the allegations and stated that the investigation is still ongoing. However, EA confirms: “Our initial investigation shows questionable activities affecting a very small number of accounts and posts. Although it is not a large number, this activity is unacceptable if these allegations are confirmed.”
While it is still unclear who is responsible in what way, the reported incidents are unacceptable:
“This practice contradicts the competitive integrity of the game, is a violation of the EA User Agreement, and will not be tolerated by us. We do not allow the exchange or sale of items outside of the game for many reasons, including that it would create unequal competitive conditions for our community.”
EA Sports (via Pitch Notes)
Since the launch of Ultimate Team, it has always been made clear that content cannot be traded outside of the game and that it is protected from manipulation.
Therefore, the occurrences have led to even more frustration: “We also know how extremely frustrating it is that this practice could come from EA. We are also angry. We know that the trust of our communities has been hard-earned and is based on the principles of fair play. These illegal activities undermine this trust.”
This is how the investigation is proceeding: According to the statement, EA Sports is currently investigating how these occurrences came about and which accounts received content through this method.
At the same time, the basic allocation of individual contents has been temporarily stopped. Therefore, scenarios affected include:
- Pro cards for real football players
- Restoration of lost contents
- Items unlocked for testing
Once the investigation is concluded, there will be consequences: “When our investigation is completed, we will take action against any employee who has been involved in these activities. All items awarded through these illegal activities will be removed from the FUT ecosystem, and EA will permanently ban any player known to have acquired content in this manner.”
As soon as there is further news, we will keep you updated here at MeinMMO. Another FIFA player has just received a lifetime ban from EA games. The reason came from a completely different direction – and is a topic in the current MeinMMO podcast.
