As we approach the end of the FIFA 23 cycle, EA Sports has opted to increase the price of the in-game currency, FIFA Points.
Many FIFA players who logged into FIFA 23 Ultimate Team today would've been handed a nasty shock in the FUT Store, with the FIFA Points prices increasing overnight. EA Sports did announce that there would be a spike in FIFA Points prices starting today, June 1, but this seemingly wasn't shared on any social media platforms and has flown under most player's radars – almost as if that was the entire purpose!
FIFA Points prices are already deemed pretty costly by a lot of people, with the most expensive package in the past (12,000 Points) setting you back a hefty £79.99 / $99.99 / AU$ 120. But if you were to make this same purchase with the June 1 increase in effect, you'd be paying an extra £8 in the United Kingdom, an extra AU$30.95 in Australia. The US price hike doesn't seem to be in effect yet at the time of writing, and it's difficult to predict, given the new FIFA Points prices don't seem to have gone up by a standard percentage/ amount across the board.
And the rollout by EA seems to be a slow one, with these new prices currently only displaying in the PlayStation Store for players based in the United Kingdom and Australia. At the time of writing, these price increases are not appearing for Xbox and PC users, but we anticipate this to change soon.
FIFA Points price increase is non-cents
EA justifies the increase in FIFA Points prices, saying "As we continue to see global economic fluctuations, including significant changes in currency valuation, we’re working to balance prices of our live service content across all currencies globally.
"Starting June 1, 2023 some regions on EA.com / EA App will see recommended retail price increases for FIFA Points for EA SPORTS FIFA 23, while others will experience price reductions when these updated prices go into effect."
Here are the new FIFA Points prices compared to the old ones, now that the rollout is in progress. We've not included US FIFA Points prices as we don't have an idea of how EA has applied this increase.
- 100 FP: £0.79 - £0.99 / AU$ 1.49 - AU$ 1.65
- 500 FP: £3.99 - £4.49 / AU$ 6.00 - AU$ 7.55
- 1050 FP: £7.99 - £8.99 / AU$ 12.00 - AU$ 14.95
- 1600 FP: £11.99 - £13.49 / AU$ 18.00 - AU$ 21.95
- 2800 FP: £19.99 - £21.99 / AU$ 30.00 - AU$ 37.95
- 5900 FP: £39.99 - £44.99 / AU$ 60.00 - AU$ 75.95
- 12000 FP: £79.99 - £87.99 / AU$ 120.00 - AU$ 150.95
In short, EA is updating the prices of FIFA points to reflect the current economic changes worldwide. But what doesn't make sense is why it's doing this. FIFA Points are a virtual currency, so why does inflation impact it?
FIFA 23 is also EA's most profitable game, so it seems an unneeded price increase, especially when you look at the profits it's made. EA released its preliminary financial results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year, where the net revenue was $1.874 billion for the quarter and $7.426 billion for the fiscal year.
With EA bringing out its brand-new game EA Sports FC later this year, this could be EA reverting back to its old, expensive ways and preparing the FUT community for what to expect in its new game. With the price raising now, it's unlikely that it will raise again once EA Sports FC is released.
And based on leaks we've seen so far, it looks like we can expect to see FIFA Points in EA Sports FC under a new name, FC Points.
In FIFA 23, we've seen EA introduce the most expensive FUT Packs released in history, with the TOTS Elite Pack that's currently available costing a whopping 500,000 Coins. Personally, the fact we are seeing such ridiculously expensive Packs and now an increase in FIFA Points only points in one direction. Prepare for some expensive content in EA Sports FC.
