April 28 – EA Sports has introduced a paid battle pass for EA Sports FC 25 for the first time, signalling a significant expansion of its in-game monetisation strategy ahead of the lucrative Team of the Season (TOTS) event.
The new ‘Season Seven Premium Pass’ is priced at 500,000 Ultimate Team Coins or 1,000 FC Points – equivalent to approximately $10/£8.99. Players who purchase the pass will have access to 40 tiers of rewards, including tradable Ultimate Team packs, exclusive player items, evolution consumables, and cosmetic enhancements. A standout reward is a 96-rated ‘Immortal Icon’ Franck Ribery player item, alongside flashback versions of Kenny Lala, Dries Mertens, Lisandro Martinez, and Federico Chiesa.
Crucially, this premium pass diverges from traditional battle pass models seen elsewhere in the gaming industry by not offering virtual currency returns, meaning players cannot ‘earn’ enough in-game credit to fund future passes through play alone. Instead, each premium pass will require a new cash or in-game currency outlay.
While a free season pass option remains available, EA’s introduction of a monetised version comes amid wider criticism over the increasing cost burden for players engaged in Ultimate Team, a core revenue driver for EA Sports’ football franchise.
EA said it would “monitor feedback” from players via its Discord and feedback portal channels but early reactions across social media have been mixed, with some players welcoming the value of the exclusive rewards, while others voiced concern at the additional monetisation layer in an already heavily commercialised game mode.
EA Sports FC – the rebranded successor to the FIFA game series – has been aggressively expanding its live-service economy to align with broader trends in gaming, where season passes, microtransactions, and premium content packages are becoming central revenue pillars.
The move is expected to further boost EA Sports’ Ultimate Team earnings, which have already become one of the company’s most profitable business lines, generating over $1.5 billion annually across the FIFA/FC ecosystem.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1745862006labto1745862006ofdlr1745862006owedi1745862006sni@g1745862006niwe.1745862006yrrah1745862006