EA’s Battlefront II Announcement Is Ballsy, Shocking, And The Right Thing To Do
Let’s face it, Star Wars: Battlefront II has been one of the biggest PR disasters in the history of gaming.
EA’s microtransaction-laden shooter was widely torched by fans and critics alike for it’s batshit crazy pay-to-win system, and EA eventually temporarily removed microtransactions to give the devs “more time to adjust them” but promised they’d be back. Well, as of today, EA has confirmed that microtransactions are coming back next month. But the good news is – they’ve been completely revamped and are accompanied by a total overhaul for the multiplayer progression system.
EA’s March 21st update to Battlefront II is mere days away, and completely changes the game’s existing “Star Card” system. As of right now, the progression works like this: You earn (or buy) a Crate (loot box), through normal progression in the game, and each crate contains a random assortment of Star Cards that do things like upgrade skills and weapons, and unlock in-game weapons and characters. Obviously this can take some time, but EA is about to make the following huge changes to the game:
Linear progression. Star Cards will be earned through gameplay, as it should be. Players will earn XP and level up individual classes, hero characters, and ships by playing with them in multiplayer, and each time you level up a unit, you will earn a Skill Point to unlock or upgrade an eligible Star Card. If you’ve already earned a bunch of shit, you get to keep it. Everything is staying put through the update, and you’ll be able to continue to level up what you’ve already got with the new progression system.
No more Star Cards in Crates. Battlefront II’s loot boxes will no longer contain Star Cards, meaning you can no longer pay money for them (the cards, that is). Players can earn Crates by “logging in daily, completing Milestones, and through timed challenges” according to EA, and all Crates will now contain Credits or cosmetic items – nothing that impacts gameplay. Would you fucking believe it.
Last but not least, you can directly purchase appearances and other cosmetic shit starting in April. In-game Credits or Crystals can be used to buy new appearances, and a bunch of new ones are coming soon. So whether you’re paying with in-game currency or real money, you can add another layer of customization to your multiplayer character. EA also teased a new appearance for Rodian Resistance soldiers.
I’m gonna keep it a buck with you, folks. I’ve been one of Battlefront II’s (and EA’s) harshest critics since this whole controversy first came to a head, so I figured it was only right to do this writeup and say my peace. I’ll be the first one to openly say that EA is doing right by their fans and Star Wars fans, and I truly hope that other big publishers follow their example moving forward. This is how you rebuild loyalty, whether or not you personally think it’s too little, too late. Me? I think this type of thing should be rewarded. So you got me, EA. I’m ready to buy a copy of Star Wars: Battlefront II.
EA says it plans to continue to roll out new content, balance patches, and new modes in the near future, and I’ll be the first one on my Friends List to download ’em.
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