A FIFA pro has announced he won’t buy any FIFA Points during the FIFA 21 season.
Tim “Tim Latka” Schwartmann, who currently plays for German club FC Schalke 04’s esports team, said he had decided to compete on the professional FIFA circuit this season without spending a penny on FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT).
FUT is FIFA’s most popular game mode and publisher EA’s money spinner, pulling in billions in revenue through the sale of FIFA Points. FIFA Points are used to buy FUT packs, which contain a random assortment of virtual players. It’s this mechanic that makes FUT a pay-to-win competitive online experience – and has sparked a comparison to gambling.
FIFA pros use FUT to qualify for professional tournaments, and so must head online to play matches with their Ultimate Team. Because of this, some pros spend thousands of pounds on FUT as soon as it launches in a bid to obtain the best players as quickly as possible.