EA to implement spending controls on FIFA loot boxes
Game publisher to provide players and parents with stricter controls as gambling debate rumbles on
EA is set to allow players to impose limits on playtime and spend for its loot box-laden Ultimate Team feature in the FIFA video game series.
The publisher has released a patch note update on its community blog site, in which it details the deployment of FIFA Playtime – a new toolkit that will allow players to take more control of their spend.
Loot boxes in FIFA appear on the title’s Ultimate Team mode, where players purchase packs of randomly generated real-life players for money to build their teams.
In the patch note, EA said: “FIFA Playtime is a new suite of tools that enable players to have more control and visibility over how they play.”
The new feature will allow players to see how much they have spent on FUT, but only in terms of FIFA points and not fiat currency.
Playtime will also allow players to put limits on the amount of FIFA points they can buy and spend, as well as a limit on the number of packs they can open.
Last month, a Dutch court ruled the loot box feature in FUT acted as a direct violation of the country’s Betting and Gaming Act.
In September, the UK government launched a consultation into loot boxes to explore whether they drive gambling-like behaviour in underaged individuals.