It’s been a huge week for EA Sports with the highly successful launch of College Football 25 followed by the big reveal of EA FC 25, but the company has scored an own goal with the latest development.
EA FC 25 showed plenty of promise in my first-hand look at the next entry in the series, with some big gameplay updates alongside some major quality-of-life improvements, all of which left me optimistic about the direction the game is moving in.
Just under 24 hours later, however, that good feeling has been erased after confirmation that EA FC 25 will feature a paid season pass for the first time—something that is becoming increasingly common in the gaming world.
Season passes are nothing new for the franchise, which has had them tied to Ultimate Team for years, but the new version, offering extra rewards for those willing to splash the cash, is another slap in the face of the player base.
Speaking to VG247, Richard Waltz, the game design director for Ultimate Team, attempted to alleviate concerns by stating there are no rewards in the paid tier that “can’t be earned in the free tier” and “no exclusive rewards,” but frankly, it still stinks.
It’s yet another way for EA Sports to squeeze even more out of the pockets of their passionate players. First, it was packs, the highly controversial method of acquiring new items in Ultimate Team that has been banned in some countries for breaching gambling rewards. Then came the introduction of an early access period, as much as a whole week, for players willing to fork out for a premium edition of the title—a bonus that is again offered in EA FC 25 with the Ultimate Edition for a price of $99.99.
EA Sports certainly doesn’t need the money, yet continues to squeeze more and more out of the players who dedicate their time to the game. How are we rewarded? With yet another money-grabbing scheme.
It’s dangerous territory for EA Sports, who, after years of cornering the market for football games, now face growing competition with the free-to-play UFL having a successful beta period earlier this year and rumors that 2K is taking over the FIFA license.
If players end up leaving the EA Sports title for one of those rivals, the company will only have itself to blame.
