Microtransactions are coming back to ‘Star Wars Battlefront II’

By Gabe Gurwin Published January 31, 2018

Star Wars Battlefront II‘s launch was the most controversial gaming story of 2017, with publisher Electronic Arts’ decision to include gameplay-focused loot boxes and microtransactions angering fans looking to play the online game in the traditional manner. The controversy has affected Electronic Arts’ bottom line, but microtransactions are still coming back to the game.

Electronic Arts CFO Blake Jorgensen told the Wall Street Journal that Star Wars Battlefront II sold about 9 million copies during the last few months of 2017, which is 1 million short of the publisher’s expectations. This is substantially lower than the sales of the first game, and Jorgensen blamed the loot box controversy for the lower figures.

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Jorgensen also revealed that microtransactions would be returning to Battlefront II in a few months, though it’s unclear what form they will take.

Currently, the progression system in Battlefront II is still painfully slow for all players, as it was clearly designed with the paid loot boxes in mind, and the decision to temporarily removed microtransactions failed to adequately address this issue. In a recent blog post, developer DICE revealed that it is working on a “revamped progression system” that was designed with the feedback of players.

More details will be shared in March, but it isn’t clear when the change will actually be implemented. A new season of content is also in the works, and in February, players will be able to try out the Jetpack Cargo game mode for a limited time. It’s an eight-on-eight mode where all players have jet packs, which should add a level of vertical movement and speed we haven’t seen in the game yet.

We actually enjoyed Star Wars Battlefront II when it first released, praising new characters introduced in the campaign as well as the sheer amount of content compared to the previous game. Its story isn’t anything to write home about, but with the addition of free post-launch missions, it offers a good sense of closure and feels at home in the franchise’s canon. Also, Han Solo also has a beard, so there’s that.

Star Wars Battlefront II is available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

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Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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