The role of loot box mechanics in FIFA's immensely popular and profitable Ultimate Team mode has been under the microscope for some time, with some governments going as far as banning the sale of FIFA Points or fining developer EA.
It seems that the increasing pressure (and potential legal action) around loot boxes has forced EA's hand, as FIFA 21's latest update contains a new line of code for an error message that suggests Ultimate Team could start to be blocked or shut down in certain parts of the world.
The line of code, which was discovered by FUT Watch, is titled "popup.error.geoipblacklist" and will present a message saying: "FIFA Ultimate Team is currently not accessible due to a demand from the authorities of your region." While many FIFA players in countries such as Belgium and The Netherlands, which have both been outspoken and taken action against EA for Ultimate Team's loot box mechanics, are concerned a ban is just around the corner, there is nothing to suggest the mode will be shut down anywhere any time soon.
RELATED LINKS:
FIFA 21 POTM Fernandes SBC: solutions and cheap players
FIFA 21 players ditching their next-gen versions due to long matchmaking queues
FIFA 21 next-gen upgrade goes live early