EA SPORTS has confirmed FIFA 22 will still have the game’s iconic FUT Packs — really, for all intents and purposes, loot boxes — but is keeping a popular change they rolled out at the end of FIFA 21 after “very positive” responses to the rework.
Late-on in the FIFA 21 cycle, EA SPORTS unveiled a substantial rework for FIFA’s Ultimate Team player packs. The change, forced under a cloud of European legal suits and incoming court dates for EA, saw FUT Packs become “visible.”
As described by EA, “Preview Packs are a pack type that allows you to see specific items contained within… giving you a choice on whether you want to buy the pack.”
Needless to say, the FUT Packs rework went down a charm.
Loyal FIFA players diving into Ultimate Team were very receptive to the change, applauding EA SPORTS for finally changing their loot boxes — if only a little — and the swap actually saw an uptick in sales during the waning FIFA 21 cycle.
Now, the FIFA 22 publishers have officially confirmed the FUT Packs changes will carry over into their next annual release, following that “very positive” testing run.
EA SPORTS has made it clear not every single FIFA Ultimate Team pack will carry this popular feature. A great deal of them will, however, in a bid to “clean up” loot boxes heading into FUT’s long future.
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At launch, FIFA 22 will boast two Preview packs:
- A Premium Gold Pack, available for Preview on a 24-hour timer.
- A Premium Silver Pack, available for Preview on a 24-hour timer.
FIFA 22 Preview packs will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. They will not be available on Nintendo Switch.
It’s no big surprise EA SPORTS pulled the trigger on keeping the new Ultimate Team packs either; the change actually saw a major spike in purchases.
Back in late July, EA chief Andrew Wilson revealed in an investor call that the FUT Packs rework lead to “an increase in engagement,” as well as “a higher rate of conversion of spenders” in the pay-to-play FIFA game mode.
“It was coming down toward the end of the season,” the FIFA developer explained. “Some of this data has to be taken in that context, but the team is committed to continuing to innovate in and around the offers and the programs that we put together for our players. We believe that we can continue to grow that business over time.
“We saw a higher incidence of new players coming into FUT. And, a higher conversion of FUT players buying packs and participating in the digital ecosystem.”
