Earlier this year, EA CEO Andrew Wilson said that the company was exploring how to implement ads into their video games, and FC 25 players have just found out he wasn't lying.
Career Mode users have been left bewildered after loading up a new save to see sponsored posts appear in the social media tabs, and as you can imagine, it has divided opinion!
Ads appear in FC 25 Career Mode
When talk of in-game adverts for EA's AAA titles first emerged, it didn't go down too well. The studio's dedicated community of gamers already has to deal with numerous bugs, glitches, and other performance-related issues after spending lots of money, so why on earth do they want to see in-game ads, too?
Well, that talk has now become a reality for those who play FC 25, with real sponsorship ads appearing in Career Mode. On a slightly positive note, they aren't just random adverts for pet food or washing up liquid; they are, in fact, related to the Beats Cup pre-season tournament.
When entering a new save or season within Career Mode, players will have the option to participate in the Beats Cup pre-season tournament, during which sponsored ads relating to Beats products will appear in the social media tab.
Although the adverts are only designed to appear while the tournament is ongoing, the whole concept has still left players unhappy. Reacting to the ads on X, one user said: "Adverts to career mode and everyone including me are losing their minds. What kind of greedy company do you need to be to charge us for a game and then include ads with our paid purchase? This is terrible and needs to be removed now."
Another post stated: "What's going on @EASPORTSFC why am I getting in-game ads for a game I paid £90 for? This should not be happening!"
Speaking in May, the EA CEO also emphasized that they would be sensitive to cramming ads into games just to drive growth and that any implementation would be done in a meaningful way. While the Beats pre-season Cup has allowed EA to be creative on this occasion, it doesn't resemble anything meaningful nor exciting for players, and the reaction tells you everything you need to know.
What are your thoughts on ads being in FC 25? Let us know in the comments section below!
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