Abstract
ABSTRACT The video game FIFA (Electronic Arts) is an annually released title with a very profitable FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) mode backed by a large community of gamers. This article demonstrates that they are subversive consumers based on a fan studies approach. The netnographic study was conducted over two years on the official FUT forum and supplemented with analysis of online news services and different web archives. It revealed that players do not want to give up “control” over the game and “clash” with producers on several fronts. They criticize the game, mainly the micropayments and other EA practices, considering them manipulations. This has given rise to subversive practices, including illegal ones from the company’s point of view. The author distinguishes three levels of activities, showing the intricate relationships between players and producers. Until now, little attention has been paid to meanings that gamers attribute to sports games and their consequences for producers.
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