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After years of global pressure,  EA Sports has decided to add a preview feature for loot boxes on certain packs, including those in FIFA Ultimate Team. In its latest patch notes, EA Sports announced that it is introducing a new way for  FIFA 21 Ultimate Team players to access content.

“See before you decide with Time-Limited FUT Preview Packs,” the EA Sports FIFA account tweeted.

This new method will feature Preview Packs in the FUT store until the end of the Festival of FUTball campaign. The FUT 21 Festival of Futball celebrates the return of international football. It features a special Festival of Futball Path to Glory where live items upgrade based on the national teams’ performance from June 11 to July 16.

This will allow FUT players to see what is in their pack before making a purchase. If a player does not want the card, they just have to refresh and try again.  However, this preview feature is tied to the Festival of FUTball event, which ends on July 16. It also does not extend to Division Rival rewards, SBC or Objective packs.

How to preview packs on FIFA 21

Players can buy a Preview Pack with FUT coins or FIFA points. These two payment methods will take you to the new-in game players pack UI. The screen then shows you the specific items that are within the pack before bringing out buy options. In the FUT store, everyone can select a Preview Pack to preview its contents. However, this does mean that you are set on acquiring it. Immediately after you select a pack to preview, the pack’s animation opens. Players can choose to watch or skip this animation.

How to preview packs
How to view Preview Packs| Provided by EA

Furthermore,  players will be shown a timer for the pack with the ability to review them in full. During this period, players can compare and contrast to see what is best for them. Reviewing the pack does not mean you’ve decided to buy that pack. At this point, your FUT Coins or FIFA points are still left untouched.

Reviewing Preview Paskc
How to review preview packs| Provided by EA

After reviewing, you can then go ahead and press X (control button based on player’s settings) to buy the selected pack. A confirmation prompt to confirm purchase and payment method selection will appear on your screen. EA has however noted that items found in Preview Packs will not currently display even if they are not duplicates.

Confirming preview pack purchase FIFA 21 FUTball
Confirm Preview Pack purchase| Provided by EA

Additionally, if you decide not to buy a  pack after previewing it, the time refreshes on the screen. The timer must expire before previewing another pack of the same type. Players are also allowed to view a previously previewed pack again and have the option to buy the pack if the preview is still active and the packs are available in the FUT store. However,  this rule does not apply to Time Limited Packs and Limited Quantity Packs.

Possibility of Unlimted Preview Pack loot boxes in FIFA 22?

Over years, there has been an increase in calls for legislation categorizing loot boxes as a form of gambling, with EA and its Ultimate Team Packs coming under heavy criticism. In 2019, Belgium declared loot boxes in games as unregulated gambling, which EA challenged. However, the developer soon changed its stance and stopped selling FIFA points that could be used to acquire loot boxes and player packs. So, players in Belgium can only earn such packs in-game and can’t buy them with real money.

If other countries follow in Belgium’s footsteps, EA will lose a huge revenue source worth more than $1 billion dollars. The game developer may be using this Preview Pack system to appease legislators from such decisions. So, while the Preview Packs will only last until July 16 on FIFA 21, it won’t be surprising if they reappear in FIFA 22.