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Publisher EA has explained its recent changes to FIFA Ultimate Team’s card pricing structure after the largely critical fan reaction.
Earlier this month EA introduced price ranges for cards being traded by players, defining both the minimum and maximum prices they could be sold for. Many players were upset by the move, claiming that in removing the capacity for scooping a bargain (or making a fortune) much of the mode’s transfer enjoyment had been removed.
We want to keep the game fair and secure for everyone, and ensure a level playing field for all FUT fans,” a blog post explained. To accomplish this we have to root out the activities of coin farmers and cheaters who are harming your experience with the game.
These exploiters generate coins illegitimately in the FUT economy through the use of bots and phishing scams, creating a flood of fraudulent in-game currency and driving up the cost of players on the Transfer Market. This inflation fundamentally damages the economy, making top players unattainable for the vast majority of FUT fans who are not exploiting the system and who simply want to play the right way.
Since implementing these changes, we’re seeing positive signs of restoring balance to the FUT economy and mitigating some of the negative effects of exploitation within the game.”
EA also added that it is continuing to adjust individual card’s prices to try and more accurately reflect the market.
Since the introduction of Price Ranges, we’ve already made more than 650 adjustments to player pricing, with a focus on the highest value players available in the FUT economy,” it added. Finding that right balance will take some time – we have a team dedicated to finding that balance.
We’ve introduced unique Price Ranges on each platform (Xbox, PlayStation, and PC) to reflect the values and dynamics in those unique economies. This will bring minimum and maximum prices better in line with the perceived value within those economies, and make transfers fairer and more enjoyable for all FUT players.”
