EA removes trade mode from FIFA 15 Ultimate Team

EA has reported on its forum that the trade option is disappearing from FIFA 15 Ultimate Team. In this way, the developer and publisher of the game continues the fight against cheaters, but honest gamers also suffer from the measure.

In the Ultimate Team game mode, gamers can create their own squad. On first use, they are awarded a number of packs with different items. Ultimate Team players must then form a squad with which they can play matches. Each match yields in-game coins, which can be used to purchase new packs of cards. There is also the possibility to buy extras via microtransactions.

In the past, the items could be sold or bartered at auction, but also among themselves. However, the latter system proved to be susceptible to manipulation. EA noted on its forum that while some gamers used the feature fairly, the feature was also popular with so-called coin sellers, who traded items at non-market prices. Many stolen cards were also sold.

The auction system will remain available in FIFA 15 for the time being, but players can now ‘only’ make fifty bids at a time. Among other things, that measure seems to have to combat bots that automatically buy a large number of items, in order to generate coins that are eventually sold for real money. Origin login verification serves in FIFA 15 as an extra layer of security to protect consoles and PCs against hackers.

EA says it finds it a difficult decision, but the company believes it is the right step in the fight against cheaters. It shows the scammers the red card in their own words to keep Ultimate Team safe for all players. FIFA 15 will be released in Europe on September 25.