Austrians buy FUT cards in FIFA 23 for hundreds of euros, complain and Sony now has to pay them everything back

FUT is also part of EA’s latest – and final – FIFA installment, FIFA 23.

Sony must Austrian FIFA-Repay players a total of 290 pounds (approx. 338) euros for purchased Fifa Ultimate Team packages. How Eurogamer writes, a court in Harmagor had already made this judgment in March 2023, but Sony had until the beginning of April to appeal against it. Since this did not happen, the judgment has been final since the beginning of last month.

The reason for the conviction is Austrian legislation, which recognized a form of gambling in the FUT packages. Accordingly, the packages would violate the relevant gambling laws in Austria. Several FIFA players had sued in a class action lawsuit. Now that this has been successful, the relevant people can look forward to a repayment of the money invested.

Why does Sony have to pay and not EA?

While Sony is not a developer of FIFA, the relevant transactions were made on the PlayStation Store for which Sony is responsible.

What is remarkable about this case is that the judgment has now set a precedent that theoretically opens the door to further lawsuits. According to the litigation financier Padronus, “several hundred” other possible plaintiffs have already reported themselves in Austria alone, so Sony may be able to prepare for further similar judgments (via Gamesmarkt)

Different countries, different handling

The discussion surrounding FUT and gambling mechanics is not new, but has accompanied the game mode for years. The reason for this is the basic mechanics, because in FUT it is important to put together your own powerful football team using player packs. These can be earned, but can also be bought with real money. Since it is not visible what is in the packs, the accusation was raised early on that this special mode was a form of gambling.

In addition to Austria, other countries have also classified the FUT packs as gambling, including Belgium, where FIFA has been missing the loot packs for years. Great Britain, on the other hand, does not see any form of gambling in the card packages. In Germany, things are still viewed in a similar way, but it remains to be seen whether, after the current judgment from Austria, a corresponding change will not also be considered in this country.

Would you welcome or regret a FUT ban?