EA Sports defends FIFA Ultimate Team "Price Ranges"

Electronic Arts says the recent addition of Price Ranges to FIFA Ultimate Team, which assign minimum and maximum values to players on the Transfer Market, was necessary to keep the game "fair and secure" for everyone. And while some fans aren't happy about it—as the startling response to anything that EA's FIFA account tweets attests—the changes do seem to be working.

"What are we trying to achieve with these changes? It’s simple—we want to keep the game fair and secure for everyone, and ensure a level playing field for all FUT fans," EA explained. "To accomplish this we have to root out the activities of coin farmers and cheaters who are harming your experience with the game. These exploiters generate coins illegitimately in the FUT economy through the use of bots and phishing scams, creating a flood of fraudulent in-game currency and driving up the cost of players on the Transfer Market. This inflation fundamentally damages the economy, making top players unattainable for the vast majority of FUT fans who are not exploiting the system and who simply want to play the right way."

More than 650 adjustments have been made to player prices since they were implemented, which EA said has helped cut back on illegitimate coin transfers, but it also acknowledged that it will take some time yet to really nail things down. Last week it updated the system to include different price ranges for each platform, to "bring minimum and maximum prices better in line with the perceived value within those economies." Messi, for instance, with an OVR of 99, is 5.9/8.8 million on Xbox and PC, but 11.7/15 million on the PlayStation.

"Since implementing these changes, we’re seeing positive signs of restoring balance to the FUT economy and mitigating some of the negative effects of exploitation within the game. We’re also delivering on our responsibility to provide you with a safe place to play," EA wrote. "We continue to invest in security tools, and promise to continue to find the right ways to fend off coin sellers and farmers who are hurting the game. We imposed a daily limit on matches, which has also had a positive effect in stopping coin farmers from generating illegitimate coins. But we have more work to do."

The post also noted that EA Sports is still working on bringing the Transfer Market back to the web and companion apps, but doesn't have a time frame for when it will happen.

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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.