Sony has been ordered to issue refunds for FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) packs by the Austrian district court of Hermagor, according to Games Wirtschaft report, as spotted by VGC. The court has ruled that the FUT packs constitute gambling and has ordered Sony to repay the amounts spent in the purchase of the packs.
The court's decision comes two years after the lawsuit was first filed against Sony, requesting a refund to a customer who spent €338.26 for the FIFA packs. The court has ruled that Electronic Arts FUT packs are "gambling games" or "games of chance" that require a license. Both EA and Sony can make their claims against the court's judgment, but both have yet to issue an official reply. The report also explains the reason why the lawsuit is targeted at Sony instead of EA, stating that Sony is the one processing the payment even though EA offers the controversial packs.
According to the suit, the plaintiffs had spent hundreds of euros hoping to get football players with high-quality traits. While all the loot boxes come with standard rewards, their main incentive is to offer random players with different qualities. This can result in players spending hundreds to get the best players to assemble their Ultimate Team. In summary, the court has ruled that this violates the Austrian Gaming Act, as the worth of the loot box's content is randomized, which can result in a financial benefit or loss for the user based on the value of goods received.
This isn't the first time Electronic Arts' controversial FUT packs have been questioned. Last year, Dutch Gambling Authority overturned its decision to fine EA $10 million dollars for keeping FUT packs in FIFA. While the gaming giant was able to win the appeal to the ruling of the court, the loot box mechanic and FIFA Ultimate Team have been under scrutiny for years. Despite the controversies, EA continues to reap huge sums of money with its FUT packs and similar mechanics. That being said, the FIFA publisher is not allowed to offer loot boxes in select regions like Benelux.
Following the Austrian court's decision, Sony is to repay the 300 euro bill whereas Electronic Arts is obligated to label FIFA Ultimate Team packs as gambling games with a license requirement. The court's decision against FIFA may bring other titans of the gaming landscape into question too. Since the lawsuit targeted Sony for processing the payment, Nintendo and Microsoft may well be affected in the future.