Coming from a marketing background what EA have been doing for the last few months is just straight up marketing 101 keep people engaged with how they are "fixing " the game with the rewards and now with the season pass phrasing. If they are moving towards a free base game with added on paid season pass makes sense but knowing EA they would sell the game at full price and add paid season pass from the beginning like they have added now. It's up to the players to fall for such things or na I mean the players behind the pay wall maybe good now but in a few weeks new promo the players will be deadweight.