Here’s how EA plans to support Battlefront II post-launch
While we got our first gameplay glimpse of Battlefront II earlier today, EA also discussed its post-launch plans for the game.
I’ll definitely be doing a full breakdown of the trailer, as well as highlighting some of the new bits we learned today, later on. However, I just wanted to go over this news bit first.
In short, post-launch content for Battlefront II will be delivered to the game for free. This includes new maps, heroes, vehicles and Star Cards. Simple put, every player who owns Battlefront II will be able to unlock all in-game content. Fresh content will drop during “Seasons”, which will also feature in-game events.
John Boyega also joined today’s livestream and announced that the first bout of free, post-launch content will include Finn and Captain Phasma. Additionally, the planet Crait (from The Last Jedi reveal trailer) will be playable. This round of post-launch content will arrive in December as part of the game’s “The Last Jedi Season”.
The planet Crait in The Last Jedi reveal trailer.
According to The Wall Street Journal, in order to support this free content, microtransactions will be added in for Battlefront II. Specific details on how microtransactions will work in-game aren’t available just yet. However, EA revealed that there will be a crate system in place to unlock Star Cards in order to customize your troopers, heroes and vehicles. These Star Cards come in four rarities that can all be earned via in-game play: Common, Uncommon, Rare, and Epic.
You’ll also be able to unlock new items via in-game quests and challenges, as well as taking part in events.
All told, I think this post-launch plan is a positive step for the franchise. The season pass model caused an unfortunate player-base split as the new maps and modes were exclusive to those that owned them. However, I hope the microtransactions are only limited to cosmetic customization. Allowing players to spend money in order to unlock Epic Star Cards could ultimately cause unrest within the community if it reaches a “pay-to-win” point. Regardless, it’s great to see that all post-launch content will be available for all players for free.
