EA revises Star Wars Battlefront 2 loot crate system

It seems that Halloween scares came earlier than expected this year when pay-to-win concerns surrounding Star Wars Battlefront 2 loot crate arose. Luckily, EA is trying to improve its system and, unusually, is being quite forthright about it.

During the beta for Star Wars Battlefront 2, progression was almost entirely locked behind loot crates, which gave players a random chance at getting anything from upgrades to pittance worth of scrap – an in-game crafting item.

Taking to a blog post, EA detailed its development plan for how Star Cards and general progression for players.

• Epic Star Cards, the highest tier of Star Cards available at launch, have been removed from Crates. To help keep everyone on a level playing field, these Star Cards will primarily be available through crafting, with the exception of special Epic Star Cards available through pre-order, deluxe, and starter packs.
• You'll need to reach a certain rank to craft upgraded Star Cards. You won't be able to buy a bunch of Crates, grind everything up into crafting materials, and immediately use them to get super powerful Star Cards. You can only upgrade the ability to craft higher tier Star Cards by ranking up through playing the game.
• Weapons are locked behind specific milestones. While a select few will be found in Crates, the rest can only be attained by play. Want to unlock a new weapon for your Heavy? Play as a Heavy and you’ll gain access to the class’s new weapons.
• Class-specific gear and items can be unlocked by playing as them. As you progress through your favorite class, you’ll hit milestones granting you class-specific Crates. These will include a mix of Star Cards and Crafting Parts to benefit your class’s development.

Unfortunately, this means that the pay-to-win element is still intact, granting people with the spare cash to skip ahead of those working for it. What it also means, however, is that it should be less of a grind to get the same gear in-game. EA continues to state that “this system, as well as all of the others, will be continually iterated on and improved.”

Star Wars Battlefront 2 has now gone gold, ready for its November 17th release date. The game is set to launch at full price, with the lowest cost I’ve come across being £50/$60 from reputable stores.

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KitGuru Says: While it’s great that EA is attempting to do something about player fears, it hasn’t done much to quell the displeasure that a full priced game houses copious amounts of microtransactions, and in such a forward way. Have these plans changed your opinion on Battlefront 2?

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