Leaked FIFA 21 document says developers do "everything they can" to drive players to loot boxes

EA Sports has been under severe scrutiny over the seemingly predatory nature of FIFA Ultimate Team, the flagship mode of the franchise for the past decade, with players criticising how much investment is required to create a competent team.

Despite all, EA has amped up its monetization strategies with the release of FIFA 21 according to a leaked document shared by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation(CBC) on 26th April. 

The bullet points for the document, which you can see right here, suggest that the company has been looking to drive players into Ultimate Team from other modes as they are "incentivized to convert" into paying FUT users. 

(Picture: EA Sports)

"FUT is the cornerstone and we're doing everything we can to drive players there," another bullet point reads. The leak, which originated from the team working in Burnaby B.C, also suggests further "content teases" and campaigns with "partners" out-of-game to "funnel excitement" and drive non-FUT players into the mode.  

The leaker, which remained anonymous, told the CBC he felt compelled to share the document as means to express discomfort for these types of business practices. 

• Read more: FIFA might get 18+ rating in Germany over Ultimate Team loot boxes

"We can't really do anything about it because at the end of the day, [the] company is trying to make money and satisfy investors."

Even if EA has defended itself by claiming that microtransactions are optional, multiple countries have taken a stand against Ultimate Team. Netherlands ruled that the company had to pay €500k per week until EA disabled Ultimate Team packs back in October.

It remains to be seen if EA will address this leaked document. We'll keep you updated as the story develops.