Summary
- Wager Matches in CoD had high stakes, skill-based matchmaking, and quick earning of CoD points.
- Implementing Wager Matches in sports games could ease adaptation to new features and add value to player abilities.
- Concerns about gambling can be mitigated by incorporating age restrictions and other limitations.
With the meteoric rise of e-sports signaling the dawn of a new era, the gaming industry has seen a surge in competitive gaming. Live-service shooters like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Valorant have led the charge in the scene, and more new IPs keep popping up to take advantage of the market boom. Sports gaming hasn't been left behind either, as games like Madden and EA Sports FC continue to improve their ability to provide virtual experiences that capture the excitement and drama of real-life sports.
To keep up with advancements in genres like shooters, sports games have featured massive improvements in in-game physics and expanded their mode offerings, with College Football 25 a shining example of this. However, beyond physics, the level of competitiveness could use a boost beyond the current pay-to-play meta often seen in EA Sports FC's games. One forgotten feature from the Call of Duty franchise could significantly improve how players approach matches in these sports titles.
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Wager Matches Could Take Sports Games to the Next Level
Call of Duty: Black Ops needs no reintroduction to fans of the shooter category, as it holds a lofty reputation as one of the most successful games in the illustrious franchise. Although many of its features can be equally exalted for the groundbreaking success, Wager Matches had a more pronounced impact. Call of Duty's Wager Matches provided a platform for six players to go up against each other with their CoD points on the line. It featured four game modes and three playlists with different rules and buy-in costs, ranging from 10 to 10,000 CoD points. Naturally, less skilled players tend to gravitate toward the less expensive playlist, providing a modicum of skill-based matchmaking.
At the time, players could only earn CoD points in bits and pieces, so Wager Matches were a much-welcome introduction, as they allowed the most skilled players to earn tangible amounts much quicker. Nowadays, CoD points are mostly gotten through microtransactions and are used to purchase things like its seasonal Battle Pass; this explains why Activision is reluctant to bring back the feature, as the high stakes can be easily associated with gambling.
Wager Matches Should Be Implemented With a Few Guardrails
Most modern-day sports titles have an ultimate team online game mode where players can build a team with whichever players they can get their hands on and compete against other players who do the same. In the case of EA Sports FC 25, for example, the developer is reportedly introducing several new features like player roles and FC IQ that will take some getting used to.
With so many changes on the board, incorporating Wager Matches into Ultimate Team modes could encourage players to get familiar with the new meta quickly, as they stand the chance of losing or gaining valuable assets. Wager Matches offer a surefire way of getting value for ability, especially in games that depend on loot box mechanics to acquire assets. Even passive enjoyers of the EA Sports football brand could find value in acquiring in-game currency and player cards of specific types without relying on luck or a “surprise mechanic,” as EA likes to call it.
Concerns about gambling remain valid; incorporating wagers would prove easier said than done. It's easy to imagine a scenario where putting points gained by in-game currency primarily purchased with actual money encourages addictive behaviors, especially among younger audiences. However, this can be mitigated by implementing age restrictions for that specific feature and properly crafting a skill-based matchmaking system with the appropriate buy-in cost, be it player cards or currency, ensuring that all gamers involved in Wager Matches have a genuine shot at winning. Introducing new collectibles to the game, like signed player cards, could be a good alternative as they hold a lot of sentimental value for fans of the sport.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 76 /100 Critics Rec: 63%
- Released
- September 27, 2024
- ESRB
- Everyone // Alcohol And Tobacco Reference, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
- Developer(s)
- EA Canada, EA Romania
- Publisher(s)
- EA Sports
- Engine
- Frostbite
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer, Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Franchise
- EA Sports FC
WHERE TO PLAY
Team up with 5v5 Rush, a new way to play with friends in Football Ultimate Team™, Clubs, and Kick-Off with small-sided gameplay. In Football Ultimate Team Rush, build your dream 5-a-side squad with up to three friends, each controlling your favourite Player Item.
Get your team playing like the world’s best with FC IQ. An overhaul of tactical foundations across the game delivers greater strategic control and more realistic collective movement at the team level, while a new AI model, powered by real-world data, influences player tactics through all-new Player Roles.
New additions to Manager and Player Career let you live out the biggest storylines from the real-world with Live Start Points; rewrite the stories of past ICONs with today’s teams in Player Career; and for the first time, play an authentic Women’s Career experience, taking control of a club or player from the top five women’s leagues.
EA SPORTS FC™ 25 has the best players from the biggest clubs and competitions around the globe, with match data from the world’s top leagues powering how 19,000+ players move, play, and win in every match.
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Genre(s)
- Sports
