Pro FIFA 20 players criticize new $6k “pay to win” esport requirement
Professional FIFA players including Ivan ‘BorasLegend’ Lapanje and two-time eWorld Cup Champion Alfonso Ramos have criticized the new ruleset for FIFA 20 esports, which could cost players $6000 to compete at the highest level.
FIFA is one of the world’s most popular games and allows players to take to the pitch in a variety of different modes as they live out their greatest footballing dreams on the virtual pitch.
One of those modes is Ultimate Team, which allows players to build their own teams, and is used as part of FIFA esports, often causing those who wish to succeed in the game at a competitive level to spend real money on buying packs to get ahold of the best cards.
Players can buy packs which have a chance of unlocking the game’s best players.Announced on Wednesday, October 30, EA Sports and FIFA 20 revealed the rules for the upcoming Global Series Qualifiers, which state that your squad’s overall rating must be 86 or lower, but are able to have three ICON players, who are legendary players with elevated statistics, and no players must be below a 75 rating.
According to BorasLegend, this ruleset now allows players to have teams that are worth around 20 million FIFA coins, which equates to $6000 in real money, when these rules didn’t exist in the 2018 edition of the competition.
“Pay-to-win in full effect,” wrote the Swede on Twitter. Another big (loss) for the scene. EA wants people to spend $6000 in order to compete on equal terms. If you do so, and you manage to qualify in the stacked qualifier, you are guaranteed a whopping $500.”
EA wants people to spend 6000 dollars in order to compete on equal terms. In if you do so, and manage to qualify in the stacked qualifier you are guaranteed a whopping 500 dollars.
— BorasLegend (@ivanlapanje) October 30, 2019
He then gave a visual representation of the kind of team players can build within those guidelines, with Ronaldo, Eusebio and Ruud Gullit ICON cards, both Lionel Messi and Neymar, and other top players from the soccer world.
The team cost around 20.8 million coins, with the pro suggesting that the price will continue to rise as players who hope to compete in top tournaments try to buy these players from the in-game transfer market.
For a visual reference.
86 rated team.
20.800.000 coins and rising. pic.twitter.com/g8DDqRt8JC
— BorasLegend (@ivanlapanje) October 30, 2019
2008 and 2012 FIFA eWorldCup winner Alfonso Ramos suggested that the solution to this issue was “quite simple,” although whether EA would ever take it on board remains to be seen.
He wrote: “We should have access to a mode to play the qualifiers where all the players are available, or all the players are 85 rated.”
It should be quite simple.
We should have access to a mode to play the qualifiers there where all the players are available or all the players are 85-rated.
— Alfonso Ramos Cuevas (@Alfonso11Ramos) October 30, 2019
Should players make it out of the qualifiers and into a FUT Champions Cup event, the winner of the competition would receive $50,000 as the grand prize, but any player who finishes lower than eighth would essentially lose money should they spend the estimated $6000 on the players they need, with the winnings dropping to $3,500.
EA Sports have yet to respond to the criticism about the situation, but we’ll be sure to update this post if they address it.