It’s fair to say that Star Wars Battlefront 2 went down like a lead balloon at launch, thanks to the various controversies surrounding its use of loot boxes, microtransactions and pay-to-win mechanics. People were not happy, and even though EA removed those features, they didn’t help matters by saying they’d be back.
Fortunately, EA have finally relented, announcing a new update that will banish those pesky microtransactions all the way to beyond the Outer Rim. Yeah, we’re going that far. The new update, which will go live on the 21st March, will completely revamp the multiplayer progression system in a number of key ways.
Firstly, progression is now a linear experience. Instead of earning star cards and abilities through crates, you’ll now level up your heroes, classes and vehicles individually, and each new level will grant a skill point to be used to unlock or upgrade a Star Card. And yes, any items you’ve already unlocked will remain unlocked. EA won’t strip you of your loadout.
Secondly, crates will no longer contain star cards, and you cannot purchase them with real money. Crates can still be earned through logging in daily, or completing challenges and milestones, and will contain customisation options such as emotes or victory poses, along with credits to unlock other aspects of the game.
If you don’t have anything to spend your credits on, don’t worry, because in April the game will be updated again with new appearance options for all classes and heroes. These appearances can also be purchased with actual money, if you’re so inclined.
For the legions of fans who were disgusted with Battlefront 2’s practices at launch, this is a big win, and it might be enough to rebuild a bridge once burnt. EA have also promised that Battlefront 2 will continue to receive updates that’ll improve the balance of the game, along with some content updates which will introduce new modes that are “radically different than anything you’ve experienced in the game before”. If it’s not a fighting game, I’m not interested.
What do you think about these changes to Battlefront 2? Will it be enough to convince you to play the game, or draw you back in? Sound off in the comments below, and if you’re in a space game mood, check out our review of Surviving Mars.
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