FIFA 21 Hit With Ultimate Team “EAGate” Scandal

In what is oddly the world’s weirdest story to throw my way mid-March, an EA employee has been accused of some form of insider trading. Not on the stock market, that would be too normal for the internet and EA. Instead, it is digital trading cards. Many accusations were thrown around yesterday on Twitter following the reveal of some WhatsApp messages.

#EAGATE

A special thanks to @RiberaRibell for the picture , he did an amazing work❤️
(continue in the comments)#fut #fifa pic.twitter.com/bJIg2rpWtI

— Arcade-Fut (@FutArcade) March 10, 2021

The allegations come from several people online with different messages from all over, including the likes of Discord. One video making the rounds shows one player with some of the most sought players in the game: Ronaldo, Pele, and more. These are usually obtained through the loot box system the company is so often criticized for, especially by me.

Video proof?!? I mean this could just be an EA Dev though or an actual employee? Who knows anymore. It’s all allegations, let’s just hope EA makes a statement on this and stays honest with us. #FUT21 #FIFA21 pic.twitter.com/lzqGMDE5S3

— Nick 🇨🇦 (@Nick28T) March 10, 2021

Though the trading does not stop there, as the offer of “3 Icons or 3 Icons [plus] 2 TOTY” for 1,000 Euro includes, of course, the games Prime Icon moments. These would be items within the game that is somehow even rarer than the likes of Ronaldo. Prime Icon Moments are apparently the most coveted by those that play FIFA Ultimate Team. Players spend upwards of hundreds, if not thousands, on getting specific players through random chance.

Now, there is no secret to the fact that players will trade and have essentially created a black market within this little realm. However, this seems to have taken it a bit further, especially with these allegations of an actual EA employee playing into that. With the hashtag “#EAGate” trending, players are (unsurprisingly) miffed-off with the idea that some have been not only cheating the system, but someone within the company has been doing it. Some state that it devalues the game for players who have legitimately gone through all the regular means to get the most coveted players. In the hours since the hashtag went live, EA has made a statement: