When it released back in November, Star Wars Battlefront II faced widespread negative feedback due to its unclear progression system and perceived reliance on monetization. Despite DICE never fully implementing the microtransaction-based economy originally designed for the game, players were unhappy about having to rely on luck of the draw in order to gain new items and abilities. The system felt unfocused and unsympathetic to how much time players put into the game. There was also a noticeable lack of appearance options, which was odd considering 2015’s Battlefront allowed you to customize the look of your soldiers down to which specific bug-eyed alien you wanted your Rebel to be.
While its sequel has been the subject of tremendous controversy, DICE has made good on their promise to fix the progression with an update that released earlier today. This update effectively addresses the most prominent criticisms of the game and seems like an overall positive change for the multiplayer component for Star Wars Battlefront II. DICE also mentioned that cosmetic items will be available later in April. Will it be enough to win back Star Wars fans who’ve fallen off the game? Will this patch attract new players who felt repulsed by the controversy surrounding Battlefront II’s release? It’s too early to tell, but if DICE continues to support the game with new content and updates, there may be a sea change in how players see the game. Here’s a breakdown of the patch notes released today.
Star Wars Battlefront II Update 2.0
- Overhauled Linear Progression System. Star Cards will only be earned through gameplay and are unavailable for purchase. Instead, you’ll earn experience points for the classes, hero characters, and ships that you choose to play in multiplayer. If you earn enough experience points to gain a level for that unit, you’ll receive one Skill Point that can be used to unlock or upgrade the eligible Star Card you’d like to equip.
- Crates no longer include Star Cards and cannot be purchased. Crates are earned by logging in daily, completing Milestones, and through timed challenges. Inside of these crates, you’ll find Credits or cosmetic items, such as emotes or victory poses, but nothing that impacts gameplay.
- Starting in April, you’ll be able to get appearances directly through in-game Credits or Crystals. The first new appearances are coming soon, meaning you’ll be able to grab new looks for your heroes and troopers directly by using either Credits (earned in-game) or Crystals (available to purchase in-game and through first-party stores). If you’ve ever dreamed of being a part of the Resistance as a Rodian, your chance is right around the corner.
You can find Hero/Villain balance changes, Ability changes, and bugfixes in the blog post here.
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This post was originally authored by Colin Regan.
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