PS4 “cryptofarm” allegedly used robots to grind FIFA currency in the game

Earlier this month, Ukrainian officials dismantled what appeared to be a cryptocurrency mining operation that used thousands of PS4 consoles to mine for crypto. This does not quite appear to be the case. Consoles (and allegedly stolen electricity) were actually used to grow and sell digital currency and accounts for EA’s FIFA games, according to a new report.

Ukrainian News Agency Job reported that PCs are running bots on consoles to play FIFA and automatically earn in-game currency. Players can use FIFA Coins in Ultimate Team (FUT) mode to pick up wanted players from an open market or open controversial FUT packs in hopes of unlocking killer additions for their teams. FUT packs can also be opened with real money.

While buying or selling FIFA Coins for real money is against EA’s policies, it hasn’t stopped a flourishing black market for digital currency. People are selling coins or currency loaded game accounts to players who are desperate to build a dream FUT roster. One site I checked listed a PS4 FIFA 21 account with 5.1 million coins for $ 300 – enough to buy

Ultimate Team modes in EA’s sports games are extremely important to the developer’s bottom line. Last year, EA earned $ 1.62 billion with Ultimate Team, which represented 29% of its net sales for the year. “A substantial portion” of this revenue came from FIFA games.

Meanwhile, FUT packs and other loot boxes have gained the attention of regulators in recent years. Since players cannot see which football players they will unlock when they purchase a pack, some authorities have described packs as a form of gambling. Belgium banned this type of game mechanic in 2018. This summer, perhaps in an attempt to avoid criticism, EA has started testing a type of FUT pack that allows players to preview content.