Star Wars Battlefront 2 has complicated the concept of loot boxes since the game entered public beta in October. Rather than adopt the popular cosmetic-focused loot boxes of Overwatch, Battlefront 2 fills its crates with Star Cards that have measurable gameplay advantages. That’s to say nothing for the extensive credit grind that mandates dozens of hours of play time to unlock a single hero.
As frustrating as that reality has been for players, however, that model wasn’t always planned to be used across the entire game. Anonymous sources recently told VentureBeat about a very interesting game mode that was apparently scrapped by rights holders. Like Overwatch before it, the mode allegedly emphasized team composition over perks and powerful weapons. In that same vein, those items were also cut from crates in favor of cosmetics. Sources say the idea was abandoned partially at the request of Lucasfilm, but no rationale has been given to explain why.
Should these sources be believed, this story adds yet another wrinkle to the ever-shifting blame game that is Battlefront 2’s loot box catastrophe. While individual developers have largely been shielded from responsibility by fans and media alike, the real question remains: who is most culpable between the licensed partners of Electronic Arts and Disney? Did EA take microtransactions too far in an effort to recoup the cost of what was likely a very expensive Star Wars licensing deal? Did Disney feel Star Wars was big enough to be immune from gamer scrutiny? These are the debates happening amongst hardcore circles and this particular tidbit leans much harder on the film side of the equation.
This development arrives mere hours after EA announced that all Crystal-based microtransactions would be removed from the game until true progression balance is achieved. Rumors suggest the change was prompted by a late-night conversation between EA CEO Andrew Wilson and Disney Products Chairman James Pitaro. The speculation says Pitaro may have threatened to end EA’s exclusive Star Wars partnership if the bleeding could not be stopped, but those claims are largely unsubstantiated.
No matter how you slice it, it’s been a tough week for Battlefront 2. Despite being announced with all the goodwill offered by more content and the promise of free DLC to come, there’s little to no discussion being had about how this game actually plays. In both online and offline modes, the presence of loot boxes and credit-based rewards continues to loom.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 is available now on PS4, Xbox One and PC.
Would you be willing to play Star Wars Battlefront 2 if it had competitive modes like the one described above? Tell us in the comments section!
- Amazing story
- Gorgeous visuals and top-notch audio
- Multiplayer decisions ruin the fun
- Little reason to keep playing
