Star Wars Battlefront 2 Crate System Is Changing After Beta Complaints; Here's What's Different

Coming out of the Star Wars Battlefront II beta, perhaps the biggest subject of conversation was its loot box system. Many players worried that its implementation would result in a pay-to-win situation, where those willing to spend money would be given an edge in multiplayer. EA and DICE spoke out on the subject after the beta ended, and now they've revealed specific changes being made to address those players' concerns.

Star Cards are a type of customization item that provide buffs, different skills, and so on. They can be earned through Crates, but at launch, DICE has made it so that Epic Star Cards--the highest tier--will no longer be obtainable through Crates. Instead, players will get their hands on them "primarily" by crafting, though special ones will be available through starter packs, by pre-ordering, or by purchasing special editions of the game.

Being able to craft Epic Star Cards would leave open the possibility that someone buys a bunch of Crates, turns the received items into materials, and then crafts Epic cards. That will seemingly still be possible, but players won't be able to do so right out of the gate, as there will be a level requirement for crafting higher-tier Star Cards.

A "select few" weapons will be exclusive to Crates, but DICE plans to provide access to most of them by playing. In a blog post, the company says that, if you want a new Heavy-class weapon, for instance, you can simply play as a Heavy to earn one. Classes will have milestones that unlock Crates specific to that class; inside, you'll find Star Cards and crafting parts.

This may not be the last of the changes to how Crates and progression work. "This system, as well as all of the others, will be continually iterated on and improved," DICE said. When it addressed the situation early in October, it also said it's considering a fan-requested mode "where all players will have the same set of Star Cards with flattened values." There's still no word when or if this will be added.

Star Wars Battlefront II releases for PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 17. While a microtransaction system is in place, all Battlefront II maps and character DLC will be free.