The highly-anticipated open beta for Star Wars: Battlefront 2 ended yesterday, and seemingly in the worst way possible. The game's loot box system was hugely unpopular, sparking controversy and debate everywhere - though the blame isn't entirely on the developers. Battlefront 2 is only the third game to implement such a system this fall alone; both Middle-earth: Shadow of War and Destiny 2 have launched with similar mechanics, prompting outrage at the practice and calls for boycotts of the three titles.
Videos by FanBuzz
DICE finally responded to the controversy recently with a blog post that summarized both the studio's plans for the future and the thoughts of the developers on the outrage.
- There are many things you can earn in the game, including weapons, attachments, credits, Star Cards, Emotes, Outfits and Victory Poses.
- As a balance goal, we're working towards having the most powerful items in the game only earnable via in-game achievements.
- Crates will include a mix of of Star Cards, Outfits, Emotes or Victory Poses.
- Players earn crates by completing challenges and other gameplay milestones, or by purchasing them with in-game credits or Crystals, our premium currency.
- If you get a duplicate Star Card in a crate, you will get crafting parts which you can then use to help upgrade the Star Card of your choice.
- And lastly, you have to earn the right to be able to upgrade Star Cards and unlock most Weapons. You can only upgrade or unlock them if you have reached a high enough rank, which is determined by playing the game.
While the point that more powerful weapons can only be earned via achievements is of mild relief, the real news comes from the final bullet. That players will only be able to unlock and upgrade certain Star Cards once they reach a high enough rank is the closest thing to balancing the system DICE could come to without completely redesigning it - an impossible feat, really, considering the rapidly-approaching release date.
Other, less noteworthy topics include changes to the Strike mode, which the developers are "considering changing to a best of three," as well as the Specialist's Infiltration ability, one of the more unpopular and criticized traits from the beta. DICE considers the latter to be "a little too overpowered" and will likely implement balance changes to Infiltration, as well as to the First Order Flamethrower that even the developers admit "could use a little more... firepower."
The post ends with a promise that DICE intends to address the oft-expressed concern that new players will struggle against veterans with more Star Cards and unlocks.
"We also have heard some players are looking for a way to play where all players will have the same set of Star Cards with flattened values. Like everything else, we will be continually making necessary changes to ensure the game is fun for everyone. We will work to make sure the system is balanced both for players who want to earn everything, as well as for players who are short on time and would like to move faster in their progress towards various rewards."
Star Wars: Battlefront 2 launches on November 17 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC for $59.99. For more information on the upcoming title, check out our selection of previous articles, which have covered everything from early trailers to developer comments.
