Is FIFA Esports Pay-to-Win?

FIFA is one of the top grossing games in the world with its Ultimate Team mode generating $1.62 Billion USD in 2021. Electronic Arts (EA) has made improvements towards monetization in the wake of governments trying to shut down predatory microtransactions. The UK called for legislative action against the sale of loot boxes in July 2020 and any form of microtransactions akin to lootboxes are akin to gambling. Japan, China and the Netherlands also have regulations in place to control such microtransactions. But it continues to be a problem with pay-to-win mechanics being an integral part of FIFA.

Microtransactions in a game priced at $60 for the base edition and $100 for the Ultimate edition is questionable to begin with, but Ultimate Team being used as the flagship mode for competitive esports is nothing short of unfair and a bridge too far for many players.

At the highest level of competition, the skill difference between players is minimal. If luck or money play the smallest of roles in determining the winner of a competitive match, FIFA might not fall under the label of a “competitive” esport. AFK Gaming reached out to Indian FIFA esports professional Ankur "JauntyTank" Diwakar to discuss the current state of FIFA esports in the country, its monetization practices and the economic barrier of entry for players who want to play the game competitively.

What is the FIFA Ultimate Team mode?

FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) is a game mode that allows players to build and manage their own clubs using players who can be acquired via FUT cards. Players, managers, and any consumable items can be acquired via what is essentially lootboxes or FUT packs.

FUT cards can be acquired from packs or can be received as rewards by winning in-game matches or playing during events. They can also be bought from the in-game Transfer Market. Purchasing packs and/or trading items on the Transfer Market requires the use of virtual currencies known as FIFA Coins and FIFA Points.

Microtransactions in FIFA range from $0.99 for 100 FIFA Points to $99.99 for 12,000 FIFA points. FIFA offers a host of packs which cost anything between 50 and 2,500 FIFA Points. And there is no real way of guaranteeing all the players you want in your team. You could potentially spend thousands of dollars and not have the players you want in your team.

The FUT mode has been around since FIFA 09 and has become increasingly predatory with its microtransactions over the years. With billions of dollars generated in revenue over the years, FIFA has become a mass-market “gacha” game, a model where some players pay endless amounts of money to get the player they want.

JauntyTank feels that FUT Is a fun mode and a good addition to FIFA. “Somewhere around 2007, players would get a fixed budget and had the ability to buy any player they wanted,” he said. “The addition of FUT was well-received by the community and competitive events started replacing the normal kick-off modes with FUT instead.”

Still, JauntyTank feels that after years of FUT being in the game, “the developers realized the people are still enjoying the game but it has become a rich man’s sport for non-competitive players."

Why FIFA Esports Does Not Feel Competitive

FIFA esports does not put players on an even playing field. In a MOBA, you could have millions of combinations of teams from the pool of available characters. But everyone has access to said characters if they choose to play them. In FIFA, getting every card in the game is going to cost you a fat inheritance, and even that might not be enough.

Even if we set aside the arcade-like nature of FIFA’s gameplay, the randomness in stats and the reliance on lootbox mechanics for the game’s flagship esports events makes it difficult for many to look at it as a “competitive" game.

The FIFA Interactive World Cup events in the past allowed only national teams. While the format had its fair share of problems, there were no “pay-to-win” elements involved. But FIFA has steered away from the model for its more recent events and most of its esports ecosystem relies on FUT. With prize money on the line, players want to win at all costs and they do not shy away from spending a few hundred dollars here and there to get ahead of the average player. It is a trend that makes it difficult to compete for many players who lack the money for investment into the esport.

On being asked about the divide between the casual and competitive FIFA audience, JauntyTank said, “there's a separation between casual players and competitive players as FUT takes some investment. You can definitely do it without investing through a lot of trading and sniping methods, but it’s very time-consuming and pack luck plays an important role, so the easiest method for a competitive player is to invest in FIFA points and get the best players.”

Pro players end up having some of the best players within week one of an annual FIFA title’s release, which is not possible naturally for players who do not spend money on the game. While players will eventually get their hands on a solid team over time, the grind can feel troublesome.

Money does not exactly make you better at the game even though it does give you an edge. JauntyTank revealed that he has seen players who have spent over $10K and still could not keep up with pro players. But, there is a caveat. “If two players of similar skill played, a basic gold card would miss a few shots if you time it right but an icon card would still net the goal if you time it wrong, so this is the major reason people invest as they want that edge in their gameplay.”

What EA can do to improve FIFA Esports

The best solution according to JauntyTank is to bring back the old competitive format. All players used in the competition would be at 85 overall stats and they would have similar attributes. “I was placed 3rd in Asia in the FIFA Interactive World Cup (July Rankings) playing with INDIA in 2012 as it was purely on skill, not even on players, as everyone had the same attributes and that inspired a lot of gamers to keep their competitive dream alive.”

One of the biggest problems is that FIFA is an annual title where players lose all progression as soon as they switch to the newest release. Given that players lose all progress, if there would be a way to carry forward some of the progression, it could help players stay competitive in FIFA esports. But it also has a positive side to it, as players who are new to the game will have an even footing against players who have built up a collection of players for years. EA needs to find the right balance with regards to progression and it may have a winning formula on its side.

Is it a bad idea to pursue FIFA esports?

According to “EA Live Content Product Manager,” Jamey "FUTEconomist" Cane, , the average team used at the FUT Champions Cup 2019 cost 32M FIFA Coins, or about $27K. The worst part is that the players used in a team composition that competed in the 2019 event can no longer be accessed in newer FIFA titles. The game goes through an annual cycle and after spending a fortune in the current installment of the game, you simply move on to the next one.

A Bleacher Report survey revealed that one of its respondents spent $280k on FIFA over a 10-year period. And if you want to grind out packs through gameplay, they come at a steady pace but you will not be able to keep up with big spenders. The Ultimate packs can take dozens of hours of gameplay to obtain and there’s no guarantee you will get the card you want.

The FIFA World Cup 2021 was canceled but if we look at the Europe playoffs, the event featured a prize pool of $400K. Even if you made it to 4th place, you would take home $25K which is less than what the average player spends to compete at that level. The amount of money spent does not define the skill it takes to win such an event. But the fact that players spent tens of thousands of dollars to stay competitive for an esports title whose prize pool is a joke compared to the revenue it makes, it can be difficult to recommend anyone to pursue FIFA esports if they are not willing to break the bank.

While monetization continues to be a concern, JauntyTank feels that EA has taken huge strides in improving the game. The average prize pool has gone up and there are strict rules in place against cheaters. But it still has a long way to go with regards to monetization and its accessibility will dictate if it can be taken seriously as a competitive esport.