After feeling some intense pressure from fans, the media and possibly Disney, the parent company of all things Star Wars, EA and DICE are scaling back in-game purchases in Star Wars Battlefront II for launch (or maybe forever, we’ll see).
What does this mean? Well players can only earn in-game items by playing the game, there will be no options to purchase crystals (in-game currency) with real money. Why was this a problem? Well, Battlefront II’s loot crate system was seen as crossing the line into the “pay to win” category, since those who spend real money to “gamble” on crates are more likely to get better equipment. Most players draw the line at this type of system when it moved beyond just costumes and aesthetic items as opposed to actually better abilities/characters/gear.
EA and DICE will instead go back to the drawing board and put together a better plan that will limit the potential for unfair advantages moving forward.
Well here’s the official word, direct from the horse’s mouth at DICE.
Thank you to everyone in our community for being the passionate fans that you are.
Our goal has always been to create the best possible game for all of you ? devoted Star Wars fans and game players alike. We?ve also had an ongoing commitment to constantly listen, tune and evolve the experience as it grows. You?ve seen this with both the major adjustments, and polish, we have made over the past several weeks.
But as we approach the worldwide launch, it’s clear that many of you feel there are still challenges in the design. We?ve heard the concerns about potentially giving players unfair advantages. And we?ve heard that this is overshadowing an otherwise great game. This was never our intention. Sorry we didn?t get this right.
We hear you loud and clear, so we?re turning off all in-game purchases. We will now spend more time listening, adjusting, balancing and tuning. This means that the option to purchase crystals in the game is now offline, and all progression will be earned through gameplay. The ability to purchase crystals in-game will become available at a later date, only after we?ve made changes to the game. We?ll share more details as we work through this.
We have created a game that is built on your input, and it will continue to evolve and grow. Star Wars Battlefront II is three times the size of the previous game, bringing to life a brand new Star Wars story, space battles, epic new multiplayer experiences across all three Star Wars eras, with more free content to come. We want you to enjoy it, so please keep your thoughts coming. And we will keep you updated on our progress.