Ulb Team Lootboxes make Electronic Arts 28% of annual profit

If you were hoping that after numerous scandals Electronic Arts would come to its senses and reduce the number

microtransactions in your games - you don’t have to worry, this won’t happen. It turned out that the Ultimate Team mode in sports games alone brings in more than a quarter of the publisher's revenue.

Surprise mechanics

Income from Ultimate Team, for example in FIFA, comes fromsales of sets of loot box cards with football players. Many Western politicians see elements of gambling in such mechanics. The mode itself is featured in most EA Sports games and is one of Electronic Arts' most important sources of revenue, according to the company's 10-K report. Moreover, profits are growing every year, despite scandals and bans on loot boxes in some countries. The statistics look like this:

  • In 2017, the Ultimate Team brought 16% of annual revenue.
  • In 2018, the Ultimate Team brought 21% of annual revenue.
  • In 2019, the Ultimate Team brought 28% of annual revenue.

FIFA itself generated only 14% of net revenue in the last financial year. Let's remember that EA's revenue for the last fiscal year was $4.95 billion, and net profit was $1.02 billion.

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