Monetization in games is witnessing another dramatic shift today, as Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva passes legislation that effectively bans the sale of lootboxes to people under the age of 18. The ban is set to go into effect in March 2026. Lei 15.211/2025, passed by the President himself, is a broad bill put in place to tighten online safety measures for children and adolescents.
“Loot boxes offered in electronic games aimed at children and adolescents or likely to be accessible by them are prohibited , in accordance with the respective age rating.”
This will likely be a major shock to EA, as Brazil is a country that prides itself on football, and subsequently, there are a lot of players engaged with EA FC and Ultimate Team. Lootboxes, microtransactions, and live-service games are always a hot topic of discussion, but EA is no stranger to this sort of pushback.
In 2019, the Netherlands Gambling Authority imposed a hefty $11 million fine on EA, calling Ultimate Team cards gambling and forcing EA to remove microtransactions from the Dutch release of EA FC (FIFA, at that time). After a court battle, EA’s appeal to overturn the fine was approved, and the Dutch Council of State went as far as to say that “loot boxes in FIFA 22 are not a game of chance.”
What’s Next For EA FC And Ultimate Team In Brazil
This time around, with the Brazilian government directly banning the sale of loot boxes to minors, EA is facing a challenge that it can’t ignore. Compared to the Dutch ruling, Brazil’s legislation isn’t an interpretation of existing gambling law — it’s a broad and detailed safety bill signed by the President himself. It has far more weight, and EA might have to adapt rather than resist.
With Brazil being one of the biggest football markets in the world, and Ultimate Team being one of EA’s biggest revenue drivers, they might not abandon packs entirely. Instead, EA might experiment with direct-purchase items, as the law doesn’t say anything against microtransactions, just against loot boxes. EA might have to work on an entirely exclusive version of EA FC 26 Ultimate Team. This will involve reworking the entire monetization model, akin to how EA adjusted operations in Belgium after a similar ban.
They could also shift to a model where players unlock rewards by playing, with premium tiers offering extra content. This would be similar to the monetization style of Fortnite and Call of Duty. EA has also experimented with “preview packs” before, allowing players to see what’s inside before deciding to buy. Expanding on this could strike a balance between maintaining the thrill of card packs while removing some randomness, opposed by Brazilian regulators.
With all that said, it’s highly unlikely that Ultimate Team gets a global rework. Any changes they make will likely be unique to the Brazilian version. For example, loot boxes were outright banned in Belgium, and EA disabled FIFA points for that region entirely. There is a high chance that we will see a similar localized solution here. One thing’s for sure, EA’s not going to give up the revenue stream that easily.
