A new legal situation in the Netherlands regarding loot boxes could oversee the Ultimate Team mode of FIFA 18. A fine in the millions could threaten EA. Curiously, many FIFA 18 fans would be pleased if there really were to be a high fine for EA.
Loot boxes are a fundamental part of FIFA Ultimate Team. Without the ability to draw packs and acquire player cards, the mode as it currently exists would not function. However, loot boxes have come under scrutiny following the scandal surrounding Star Wars Battlefront 2 last year. Some countries are planning stricter laws, such as in the Netherlands.
If EA is one of the companies examined under the new legal situation and found guilty, the FIFA community would even welcome the penalty.
New law in the Netherlands on the loot box system
Loot boxes are now gambling in the Netherlands. This is stated in an article by NOS, which reports on a legal amendment regarding loot boxes. Accordingly, 4 different games, probably including FIFA, CS:GO, DOTA, and PUBG, had until June 20 to revise their loot box systems. The review of the games was conducted by the Dutch Gaming Authority. The reason for the change in the legal situation is that loot boxes are considered a form of gambling because the content is random and not known beforehand.
Two games missed the deadline: While Valve adjusted the mechanics of their loot boxes for CS:GO and DOTA, two games did not do so. The Gaming Authority has not confirmed that these are FIFA and PUBG. However, according to NOS, these are the most likely candidates.
Intensive review could lead to high fines: Both games that missed the deadline will be reviewed again. If one of these games is FIFA Ultimate Team and the Gaming Authority decides that EA is in violation of the new law, they would have to pay a high fine: About 10% of the game’s worldwide revenue would be due. In the case of FIFA, this amounts to the impressive sum of 400 million euros.
FIFA fans discuss on reddit – and support a fine
Fans would be pleased with a possible fine: The NOS article was intensely discussed on reddit. And as unusual as it may sound: Many players from the FIFA community would be happy about a possible impending fine for EA. They hope for a change in mindset from the FIFA publisher, as they are dissatisfied with many things. These include, among others, the gameplay, EA Sports’ handling of the community, and the excessive focus on FUT.
The community does not believe EA will pay a fine. Others, on the other hand, think that even in the event of a conviction, EA will not pay a fine. Instead, they would simply offer FIFA in the Netherlands without Ultimate Team in the future. For Dutch FUT fans, this would certainly not be a pleasant measure, as despite the controversial loot boxes, Ultimate Team is the reason many players buy the new FIFA title every year.
EA CEO says “Ultimate Team is not gambling.” Many also believe that EA will not receive a fine because the contents of the sets do not have a material value that can be equated with real money. This has been the case with the “Steam Community Market” in DOTA or CS:GO. The EA CEO commented on the loot box ban and justified his opinion that FUT is not gambling with this argument: The sets cannot be converted into money.
Sets: The loot boxes in FIFA Ultimate Team
This is how sets work: In FUT, everything revolves around player cards of football professionals. These are only available from packs. They can then be used for one’s own team or offered for sale on the transfer market. The cards are divided into bronze, silver, and gold as well as “common”, “rare” and “special”.
The different sets: There are different types of sets, each with a different number of players. A “Premium Gold Player Pack”, for example, contains twelve players, of which eleven are gold cards and three are rare. The “Rare Player Pack” also contains twelve players, but all are gold and rare, making it significantly more valuable. Rare players have stronger stats and thus provide an advantage in online play against players with weaker player cards.
This is how players get packs: Packs can be obtained in many ways. They can be earned in various modes or purchased for in-game currency, the coins, in the shop. They can also be bought with “FIFA Points.” These can be obtained in exchange for real money. For about 10 euros, you get around 1000 FIFA Points, which corresponds to approximately a “Rare Player Pack.” Because of this mechanic, it is significantly easier to quickly build a strong team with the use of real money.
