EA just added price ranges to the FIFA Ultimate Team transfer market
Player value decimated as EA tackles coin sellers.
EA has stepped in to change the FIFA Ultimate Team transfer market as part of a bid to tackle coin sellers.
All FUT items now have a price range that sets the highest and lowest coin prices each item can be sold on the transfer market.
FUT items include players, in-forms, consumables and club items.
In a statement issued to the FUT community, EA Sports said it made the change in part to "further restrict illegitimate coin transfers on the transfer market".
Coin sellers have long plagued FUT, with a number of high-profile FIFA YouTubers even advertising coin selling websites on their channels. Bots are used by coin selling websites to farm Ultimate Team's in-game currency and automatically buy items off the transfer market. Coins are then sold for real world cash to players looking to get a leg up in the virtual transfer market.
In the past, a player who had bought coins would list a poor quality item on the transfer market for, say, one million coins, then the coin-selling website would buy the item, thus enabling the sale.
Now there is a price range that caps the maximum amount that a transfer market item can be sold for, coin sellers may need to find a workaround.
Also, now items will, theoretically at least, be more attainable, players may feel there is less need to go to coin sellers in the first place.
The addition of price ranges is the latest in a string of initiatives designed to stem the tide of cheating within FIFA Ultimate Team, which is FIFA's most popular mode.
Last year EA unveiled a new ban process it hoped would encourage players to report those suspected of coin selling.
EA said price ranges will also help FUT players better understand the value of the players in their club, and make high-rated players more attainable for all FUT gamers, ensuring a level playing field. But the move hasn't gone down well with some FUT players, who have seen the value of their items, many of which were purchased after considerable investment, decimated.
"Although the new FUT item Price Ranges will differ from current prices, their relative value to other player items on the transfer market will remain consistent in order to maintain a level playing field for everyone," EA said.
All price ranges will be universal across Xbox, PlayStation and PC, and are set by the FIFA team "based on analysis of past transfer market prices".
The change means open bid transfers will be unavailable after price ranges have been activated. So, in order to list an item on the market, you have to set a "buy it now" price within the price range.
"The Price Range for each FUT item will be set wide enough for you to still enjoy trading on the Transfer Market," EA said.
"The Price Range for certain players may be adjusted in the future as we work to improve this feature over time." It's worth noting new in-form FUT player items will get a price range when they're released.
"We believe the long-term benefits of this new change will make FUT more fun and fair for everyone," EA added.
"We know that this is a significant change to FUT, and so we want your feedback. We are confident that, in the long run, the FUT community as a whole will come to appreciate the balanced benefits that this new feature will bring to all FUT players, but it's important you let us know what you think."
The transfer market will remain inaccessible from the web and companion apps, EA said.