EA’s upcoming intergalactic shooter, Star Wars: Battlefront II, was among the casualties of the recent loot box controversy. It became clear through the beta that gameplay-relevant unlocks were often tied to crates that could be either earned in-game or purchased outright, and the response from fans was less than enthusiastic. Today, EA have announced some changes to the progression system in response to those complaints.
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First, they’re removing the high-tier Epic Star Cards – items which unlock particular abilities for your character’s loadout – from crates, making them only available through crafting, aside from a few unique exceptions for pre-order bonuses and the like. You’ll also have to be of a certain rank before being able to craft more powerful Star Cards. The end result isn’t significantly different from the original system in the beta, but it does more greatly emphasize time played over money spent.
The other major changes come in terms of class progression. Previously, crates dropped a random array of items across all the classes, but now playing your favored class will unlock crates specific to them, meaning that you won’t be grinding just to earn gear for classes you’ll never play. Additionally, EA say that with few exceptions, weapons are only locked behind progression goals for the respective classes. Play classes, get weapons. Pretty simple.
It’s not a fundamental rebuild, but it does address some of the community’s most pertinent concerns about the game’s progression system. Particularly comforting considering you won’t be spending very long with the campaign.