The company has apologized for accounts being taken over due to a security flaw, but the incident raises serious concerns.
Even before last week, when users reported their FIFA Ultimate Team accounts being hacked and their virtual FUT coins and players stolen, that now had to deal with trust issues with its user base of FIFA Ultimate Team.
The company has previously been labeled “predatory” for the way it incentivizes users to spend real money on in-game currency – a claim it has categorically denied in statements to GOAL – and the newfound vulnerabilities in the FIFA 22 game mode will raise questions about how it handles fan exploitation.
There are financial ramifications in addition to the competitive inconvenience. People frequently spend hundreds of pounds each year to build out their teams, and this is especially true for those who stream their content online in the hopes of attracting an audience with squads of rare, expensive cards.
As a result, loyal users are concerned about their safety, and the video game publisher must now be transparent and thorough to make amends. Its response has been slow so far, taking several days to provide a complete explanation of what happened.
EA has outlined the new account safeguards that they will implement, including the retraining for its customer service representatives, additional account verification measures, and updated software, while apologizing for not being able to share the additional details in their original communication as they conducted a thorough investigation.
Glitches, hacks, and scams have long been FIFA Ultimate Team’s problem, with bad actors taking advantage of a younger player base.
Breach are frequently low-tech, making technology-based security measures difficult to prevent. This one allegedly stemmed from customer service representatives being persuaded to hand over sensitive information to thieves, but vulnerable children have long been duped into handing over their private accounts via console messaging.
Human factors were not better addressed before now, more than ten years into the existence of FUT, and why customer service agents were so easily swayed to turn over valuable information remain unanswered questions. What else could be exploited if this was possible?
Card market trader FUT Donkey also claimed to have lost millions of virtual coins due to the said scandal, which is the equivalent of hundreds, if not thousands, of real-world pounds.
The fact that public-facing users were targeted should worry EA as it attempts to protect its reputation. After all, streamers have played a significant role in generating interest in FIFA Ultimate Team and shaping the narrative surrounding the game in general. When a gamer sees their favorite Twitch or YouTube creator being targeted, their faith in the company is likely to erode.
Fortunately for EA, given the failure of ‘eFootball’ 2022, which has seen Konami fall further behind in the publisher rivalry, there isn’t a viable football video game alternative currently on the market, but the public conversation about FIFA 22 being centered on scandal still hurts.
The company’s football division makes a lot of money thanks to FUT. It would be prudent to safeguard that asset as well as those who wish to participate.
On the surface, video games appear to be a harmless pastime, but the issue is far more serious when considering the financial stakes.
The company’s football division makes a lot of money thanks to FUT. It would be prudent to safeguard that asset as well as those who wish to participate.
On the surface, video games appear to be a harmless pastime, but the issue is far more serious when considering the financial stakes.
