Electronic Arts employees and Star Wars: Battlefront II devs are answering questions on Reddit today as part of an effort to win back some fans and address concerns after a recent EA comment that defended the upcoming multiplayer shooter’s progression system became the most downvoted in the site’s history. Battlefront 2 comes out November 17 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
One Reddit user, PatcheytheDino, asked if it was too late for EA to change its loot box system from one that gives items that change abilities and gameplay to one that only gives out cosmetics. Battlefront II’s associate design director Dennis Brannvall responded:
Nothing is too late. As you’ve noticed, we weren’t able to get the customization system into the game in time for launch. I’m actually having artists and designers walk up to me today showing me cosmetic stuff they really want to get out there. I think we have probably the best looking Clone Troopers ever made and I know players really want to customize them (I know I do). I can’t really commit to a date just yet, but we’re working on stuff and I believe it will change the game [tremendously] on all levels.
Much of the anger toward Battlefront II’s loot boxes is because spending money and unlocking those random items can give you an actual advantage. You could get a new weapon that’s better than the one you start with, for example. Other loot box games, like Overwatch, give out cosmetic items like character skins (these aren’t linked to any sort of character progression). Many fans have pointed out that Star Wars characters have enough alternate costumes and looks that EA could have made a cosmetic-based system instead of the one they have.
But will the addition of cosmetic items replace Battlefront II’s current progression system? EA could just add cosmetic items as additional unlockables on top of the current offerings. But while Brannvall says that “nothing is too late,” it’s unlikely that we’ll see a dramatic change that completely replaces the current system before Battlefront 2’s impending launch.
