Electronic Arts just doesn't seem to learn its lesson, because it's in trouble again for something that it did around four years ago.

WCCFTech reports that with the release of 'FIFA 21," EA is once again allegedly forcing players to purchase loot boxes. Electronic Arts themselves are already denying these claims, but many sources are corroborating the allegations, which first surfaced in leaked documents.

electronic arts sponsoring fifa
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BURNLEY, ENGLAND - APRIL 11: A detail picture of the Nike matchball and EA Sports and No Room For Racism logo's on the shirt of referee Anthony Taylor during the Premier League match between Burnley and Newcastle United at Turf Moor on April 11, 2021 in Burnley, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

The documents, according to a report by the Canadian news outlet CBC, reveal a certain play mode that lets gamers buy certain loot boxes to improve the experience or increase their chances of winning games. It is called FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT), which the documents claim is the game's "cornerstone."

All of this information purportedly came from an insider at Electronic Arts, who said that they, and others they know who work on games, don't feel good about including loot boxes in projects, reports EuroGamer.

Read also: Battlefiend 6 To Be Officially Revealed "Soon,"; Next-Gen Exclusivity Confirmed

No Stranger To Scummy Practices

Electronic Arts, being one of the biggest developers and publishers in the industry, is just like any other business. Their main goal is to make money to please investors. But it's the way they try to make that money that's put them in a negative light before.

Again, let's go back to four years ago with the release of another big EA game, "Star Wars: Battlefront 2."

electronic arts showcasing star wars battlefront 2
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PARIS, FRANCE - NOVEMBER 02: Gamers play the video game "Star Wars Battlefront II" developed by Dice Criterion Games and Motive Studios and published by Electronic Arts (EA) during the 'Paris Games Week' on November 02, 2017 in Paris, France. 'Paris Games Week' is an international trade fair for video games and runs from November 01 to November 05, 2017. (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)

"Battlefront 2' was one of the most anticipated titles of last gen due to its inclusion of a handful of beloved "Star Wars" characters. But these characters (and more powerful equipment) were only unlockable in two ways: you could spend an ungodly number of hours playing just to earn enough in-game credits. Or you can just buy the credits with real money.

TLDR: if you paid extra for the loot boxes in "Battlefront 2," you're better equipped than much of your opponents.

The result was a worldwide fiasco, which put video game loot boxes under intense scrutiny. Some national governments even considered this as a form of gambling, and as such caused a massive PR nightmare for Electronic Arts.

Eventually, EA executive Patrick Söderlund apologized, saying that they "got it wrong" and vowing that it will never happen again with subsequent releases, as written on Business Insider.

Related: New Bill Will Ban Games From Selling Loot Boxes And Pay-To-Win Microtransactions To Kids

Solving The Problem Of Loot Boxes

Electronic Arts can likely learn something from Blizzard when it comes to solving the problem of microtransactions and/or loot boxes.

overwatch character tracer
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PARIS, FRANCE - OCTOBER 25: A figurine of the video game " Overwatch developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment is displayed during the 'Paris Games Week' on October 25, 2018 in Paris, France. 'Paris Games Week' is an international trade fair for video games and runs from October 26 to 31, 2018. Pro during the 'Paris Games Week' on October 25, 2018 in Paris, France. 'Paris Games Week' is an international trade fair for video

In Blizzard's massively popular online shooter "Overwatch," loot boxes contain items that are purely cosmetic and doesn't affect the gameplay in any way. Players can easily win loot boxes by playing the game and levelling up, which doesn't require too much "grinding." And what's even better is that these boxes don't cost much if you decided to buy them either.

Compare that to "Battlefront 2" and now "FIFA 21," and you see the problem: locking better items and characters behind a pay-to-win scheme isn't just scummy; it's flat out unfair.

Nobody wants a repeat of that time when a teenager spent USD $8000 on "FIFA" microtransactions, because honestly, that's just insane. But if the allegations are proven true, then EA will have broken a promise they made after the scandal that is "Battlefront 2." 

Related Article: 'Battlefield' Series is Getting a Mobile Version, Electronic Arts Gives Next-Gen Game Update

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Written by RJ Pierce

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