A controversial new EA advertisement for children promotes FIFA 21's microtransactions as an essential part of playing the game. In particular, the ad promotes a lootbox system where spending money does not lead to a guaranteed award, angering lootbox critics.

EA is no stranger to criticism regarding its aggressive approach to microtransactions. The company famously defended in-game purchases in Star Wars: Battlefront 2 as promoting "a sense of pride and accomplishment." This led to an unprecedented backlash against EA from Star Wars fans, but the issue pervades far more games the company release. For example, purchasing all available DLC for The Sims 4 would cost well over 500 dollars.

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As shared by Twitter user @AllFifaMistakes, the advertisement appears in the magazine of United Kingdom retailer Smyths Toys. The full-page ad compels children to immerse themselves in FIFA 21's version of the FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) mode. Although popular, FUT was hit with a California lawsuit in August 2020 for promoting gambling-like practices. The ad frames microtransactions as the second of four steps needed to enjoy the game. It's important to note that players can still access FUT without microtransactions, so it is disingenuous to imply they are necessary.

To be fair, microtransactions are a pervasive issue across the video game industry, not just EA. For example, Marvel's Avengers recently raised eyebrows for its expensive in-game purchases. To be fair, all purchasable content in Marvel's Avengers is cosmetic, so players will not be at a disadvantage without it. This differs from FIFA 21's FUT mode, where the ability to use specific celebrities is locked behind a lootbox system.

For many, the context of the industry does not exonerate EA. Even if players can access FUT mode without microtransactions, the ad implies those purchases are necessary. This means children will think those purchases are necessary. As a new console generation arrives and children buy game consoles for the first time, many hope the industry does not normalize in-app purchases in upcoming games. Soon-to-be-released games marketed to children, like Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, will not have microtransactions, but it remains to be seen whether this will become standard industry practice.

Of course, some might argue that EA serves as a scapegoat for the industry as a whole. Still, EA is a very powerful and influential company - for instance, EA almost bought Bethesda before Microsoft's recent acquisition, Many argue that EA has the resources needed to change the gaming industry in massive ways, and normalizing deceptive advertising for children is unacceptable, no matter the context.

FIFA 21 releases on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on October 9, with support for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S planned.

MORE: Everything You Need to Know Before Buying FIFA 21

Source: Video Games Chronicle