EA FC 24 players slam ‘ridiculous’ pay-to-win mechanics as promo packs hit a new extreme

EA FC 24 players have launched criticism at the game’s pay-to-win mechanics after “ridiculous” promo packs flooded the store in a new extreme for the game.

Ever since Ultimate Team was first introduced in FIFA 09, EA Sports has faced criticism for the loot box system that allows you to spend real money to open packs, which provide a random selection of players in the game for you to use.

Criticism toward that mechanic has increased in recent years, with the loot box system increasingly unpopular among consumers across any game, and there are arguments that it encourages gambling.

However, rather than adjusting the pack system in EA FC 24, it has been embraced to an entirely new level with the introduction of packs like the “Elite Season Opener” pack, which costs 3,000 FC points—around $30.

This single pack costs almost half of what the full game is priced at and is not a rare occurrence. At the time of writing, there are separate packs in the Ultimate Team store costing between 1,000 and 3,000 FC Points.

That has irked fans across the world, with many flocking to Reddit to share their frustrations and accuse EA Sports of pushing further and further toward a system where buying packs is the only way to obtain players, with the Transfer Market’s influence lessened due to the untradable nature of the contents from these packs.

The “Elite Season Opener Pack”, for example, provides 45 Rare Gold players rated 80 or higher, all of which are untradable, and several “Loan” players who can only be used for a specified number of games.

It’s not just the biggest packs that are a problem, however, as the Store is regularly flooded with Promo packs. Previously a rare occurrence, and saved for events like Black Friday or New Year, they are now a daily piece of content—since early access started, there have been “Premium Gold Players Packs” and “Prime Gold Players Packs” refreshing daily.

Unfortunately, it’s further proof that the bottom line for EA Sports is the profit margin, and fans are concerned that more and more expensive packs could be introduced in the future.