Madden 23 #packstrike goes viral as pros & players boycott packs

Andrew Highton
madden 23 ultimate team points

Ultimate Team in Madden 23 could be set for a dry spell as a viral #packstrike trend has shaken up the game with the community banding together to boycott this aspect of the game.

EA SPORTS’ Madden franchise continues to be head and shoulders above everyone else when it comes to simulating American Football, but it appears as if its fan’s frustrations have boiled over regarding packs and Points.

Consumers have already hounded Madden 23 over its current state, with even NFL Pro Mecole Hardman stating that it’s the “worst ever.”

It’s no secret that Madden, along with FIFA, tends to favor the game’s Ultimate Team mode as it’s obviously a massive money maker for the company. But there are always cries of derision surrounding the notion of microtransactions in Ultimate Team, and Madden 23’s has already reached a point of no return with many of its fans it seems.

Madden 23 players want massive improvements to packs

Loot boxes have been considered by many to be gambling for the longest time as you literally don’t know what you’re going to get from your pack.

Across FIFA and Madden, content creators, streamers, and regular players have invested plenty of their own money, just to receive underwhelming items from Ultimate Team packs.

Madden 23 appears to be no different, which is why the popular streamer of the game – Zirksee – has issued a rallying cry to the community: “Myself and other creators in the community have decided to go on a pack strike. With the massive issues going on in Madden 23 we need changes. DON’T BUY POINTS! Here are the things we want to see changed. JOIN US TO HELP MAKE THIS HAPPEN!”

The movement is being propelled by a simple hashtag – #packstrike.

In an accompanying picture, Zirksee is asking EA for major improvements to the pack system, including “Better reroll,” “better pack odds,” and a lot more.

Hundreds and thousands of players have since responded to the hashtag with words of encouragement and suggesting that they will follow suit.

“Just please don’t be an edgelord and fight for EA, we’re only trying to get a better game, and us all rowing in the same direction is super important here,” said Twitch streamer Gutfoxx.

Whereas a Madden YouTuber said: “No more money packs starting tomorrow. Like if you’re joining.”

It remains to be seen if it’s just a majority that follows this boycott and how seriously EA will take it, but one thing’s for sure, the community is becoming more disgruntled with the game’s practices.

About The Author

Andrew Highton is a former Games Writer for Dexerto. He has a Creative Writing degree from Liverpool John Moores University and has previously written for games websites such as Twinfinite and Keengamer. With 13,000+ PlayStation Trophies to his name, Andrew is a fan of a huge variety of video games, his favourites being God of War and Metal Gear Solid. Contact him at andrew.highton@dexerto.com, on Twitter @AndyHighton8 or at www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-highton.