EA sticks with loot boxes for FIFA 22 Ultimate Team, but adds preview packs Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. EA sticks with loot boxes for FIFA 22 Ultimate Team, but adds preview packs In transition. News by Wesley Yin-Poole Deputy Editorial Director Published on 16 Sep 2021 27 comments FIFA 22 Ultimate Team features the mode's long-standing and controversial loot boxes, EA has confirmed. However, EA will use the preview packs it trialed towards the end of FIFA 21's life. Watch on YouTube In June, under increasing pressure from governments, children's welfare groups and gambling charities, EA added the ability to see what's inside FIFA 21 loot boxes before you buy them. These Ultimate Team preview packs let you see all the specific items contained within them before you make a decision on whether to buy with FUT Coins or FIFA Points. (FUT Coins is a virtual currency earned through gameplay. FIFA Points is a virtual currency bought with real-world money.) If you do not buy the pack, you see the previewed pack remains in the store, where it is now on a refresh timer. The timer has to expire before you can preview another pack of the same type. Preview packs are one of the biggest shakeups to Ultimate Team since its inception, and marked a significant change to the way the controversial - and highly lucrative - mode is monetised. The change came amid increasing pressure from governments about the link between video game loot boxes and gambling. EA's FIFA series is part of ongoing investigations into the impact of loot boxes, particularly on children, with many groups calling for a change in legislation to categorise loot boxes such as Ultimate Team packs as gambling. It was clear EA was testing the waters with these changes in FIFA 21 in response to this scrutiny - and now we know they will carry forward into FIFA 22. Preview packs will be available in FIFA 22 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, Stadia and PC - but not Nintendo Switch. At launch, the premium gold pack will be available for preview on a 24 hour refresh timer alongside the non-preview version. The premium silver pack will be available for preview on a 24 hour refresh timer alongside the non-preview version, too. The question will be whether these preview packs go far enough. In the UK, the government is looking into loot boxes to see if the law should be applied to them. In December 2019, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport launched a review of loot boxes alongside a wider review of the Gambling Act 2005, and in June 2020 announced a public call for evidence. The government commissioned Abertay University to assess this evidence, and the hope is a report will be issued by the end of this year. If so, the government may act at some point in 2022. While EA maintains Ultimate Team's loot boxes do not constitute gambling, in a recent regulatory financial document the company acknowledged a change in the law could significantly impact its business. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 4 Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 13 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090: a new level in graphics performance The Digital Foundry video review - and how the new GPU champion delivers for 4K 120fps gaming. Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 4 Feature Evercore Heroes wants to wind people up the right way "There's less rage at them, because they didn't end your fun." Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store