As Darth Vader once said, “The ability to insert loot boxes into a video game is insignificant next to the power of fan backlash.” Ok, he didn’t say those exact words, but history has once again proven that when millions of gamers cry out in disapproval, they refuse to be silenced.
EA recently announced it is overhauling Star Wars Battlefront II’s progression system. According to the announcement, progression will be totally linear, and the Star Cards players once obtained randomly through purchased loot boxes will only be earned through regular gameplay. More importantly, instead of relying on random Star Cards, players will be able to earn experience points, so they can upgrade their classes, hero characters, and ships.
While loot crates aren’t exactly disappearing from Star Wars Battlefront II, they will no longer be purchasable. Instead, gamers can earn crates by logging in each day, completing various game milestones, and participating in timed challenges. Moreover, loot crates will include only credits or cosmetic items such as emotes or victor poses.
EA is also adding appearance options (technically they were already in the game, just hidden) for players to customize their characters. While the announcement doesn’t specify any options — except for playing as a Rodian — it states players can obtain appearance options by either using credits earned in-game or crystals. Yes, crystals, as in a secondary currency players can purchase with real world money.
Even though the update is mostly full of good news, it comes with one caveat: progression will not reset. Players will be able to keep any heroes, vehicles, and most importantly Star Cards they’ve already earned/purchased in the game, even if they’re overpowered and give them an unfair advantage over other players.
These massive changes are set to drop March 21st, and EA promises they are only the first in a potentially long list of upcoming changes that will bring new life to the game and aid EA on its road to redemption. While EA isn’t completely removing microtransactions from Star Wars Battlefront II, it is at least trying to make sure the game is no longer pay-to-win and that players have a more even playing field. Maybe now we can finally get that pink Dark Vader skin we’ve always wanted.
About the author
