Last year, Dutch authorities decided to impose a fine of 250,000 euros per week if EA decide to keep loot boxes in FIFA games. The publisher appealed the decision but have lost the battle today, as the judge has rejected their objections.
Football simulations may not be your cup of tea but you have probably heard about loot boxes in FIFA's Ultimate Team mode, which many consider a form of gambling. Some countries even pondered banning loot boxes and the Netherlands government has taken the biggest steps in the war against loot boxes.
Last year, Dutch game of chance authority, Ksa (Kansspelautoriteit) decided to impose a penalty charge of 250,000 euros for every week EA decide to keep loot boxes in FIFA. The fine amount would run as long as loot boxes are present in the game.
As expected, EA went to court, claiming that loot boxes are inextricably linked to the football game itself and that the content of the loot boxes has value only within the game and cannot be converted into real-world money.
EA
Today, The Dutch court has rejected EA's appeal , confirming the earlier decision by Ksa, which means that if EA want to avoid the fine, they will need to remove the loot boxes from FIFA within three weeks.
After Ksa's decision in 2018, many gaming companies, including Valve, decided to remove or adjust the loot boxes in their games. It remains to be seen how exactly will EA react to this court rule.
For more details, you can read the full Judge verdict here and check out the report from Dutch press here.
