Although they’re not described as such in-game, Ultimate Team’s card packs are loot boxes.
It’s this real-world money aspect of Ultimate Team’s loot boxes – and the fact the loot boxes contain gameplay-affecting items – that has caused so much controversy for the mode and EA over the years.
EA has confirmed it’s sticking with loot boxes for FIFA 23’s Ultimate Team mode, after the company was effectively given the green light by the UK government’s recent decision not to legislate the controversial in-game monetisation system.
Last month, the UK government stopped short of taking action on loot boxes, despite finding that players who buy loot boxes are “more likely to experience gambling, mental health, financial and problem gaming-related harms”.