The Problem of Pay-to-Win in Star Wars: Battlefront II (2017)

November 18, 2024

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Star Wars: Battlefront II (2017) was released by Electronic Arts (EA) and DICE with great anticipation, offering players the chance to experience the beloved Star Wars universe through a fast-paced, action-packed multiplayer shooter. The game promised rich visuals, exciting combat mechanics, and the opportunity to fight for the light or dark side in iconic battles. However, it wasn’t long before a significant issue became apparent, one that would dominate the conversation around Battlefront II—the game's controversial microtransactions system. While Battlefront II was lauded for its visuals and gameplay mechanics, the introduction of loot boxes and progression systems that affected gameplay became a focal point of public outcry. Players quickly realized that, in many cases, those who spent real-world money had an advantage over those who did not—leading to the term Pay-to-Win (P2W) being widely applied to the game. This article explores how this issue unfolded, the player reaction, and the eventual changes made by EA and DICE to restore some balance to the game.

The Promise of Star Wars: Battlefront II

When Star Wars: Battlefront II was first announced in 2017, fans were eager for a game that would fulfill the potential left behind by the 2015 reboot, Star Wars: Battlefront. The 2015 release was criticized for its lack of content, limited maps, and progression systems that felt shallow. Battlefront II sought to address these shortcomings, offering a wide array of content, including new modes, planets, ships, and heroes. The promise of deep progression systems, which would reward players for their time and skill, further built excitement. The game initially boasted an exciting multiplayer mode, including Galactic Assault, Starfighter Assault, and Heroes vs. Villains, as well as a single-player campaign that followed the story of Iden Versio, a member of the elite Imperial Inferno Squad. Players could unlock new heroes, ships, and skins, making the game feel vast and rewarding. However, the monetization system quickly soured this optimism, leading to the Pay-to-Win issues that would define much of the game's post-launch experience.

The Introduction of Loot Boxes and Microtransactions

The first major red flag regarding Battlefront II's microtransactions appeared with the introduction of loot boxes. These loot boxes contained randomized rewards such as cosmetic items, but more worryingly, they also included Star Cards, which directly impacted the player's abilities in-game. Star Cards would enhance the stats and abilities of players' characters, such as giving them extra health, increased damage, or faster recharge times for abilities. Initially, these Star Cards could be unlocked through gameplay, but the process was slow, and the loot box system offered a shortcut. Players could either earn loot boxes through in-game progression or purchase them with real money. This led to an imbalanced system where those willing to spend money could gain significant in-game advantages, particularly in the early stages of their progress, while those who did not spend money had to grind for hours to unlock the same abilities.

The Pay-to-Win Debate

As players began to experience the effects of the loot boxes, the term Pay-to-Win gained traction. The core problem was clear: the microtransactions allowed players to gain significant advantages in combat. For example, a player who spent money on loot boxes could unlock Star Cards that boosted their health or damage output, giving them a direct advantage in battles. In a competitive multiplayer game, this created a situation where players who invested money were able to perform better than those who didn’t. While Battlefront II's developers argued that the microtransactions were only for cosmetic items at launch, it was clear that the game had a deeper problem. Players could use these loot boxes to enhance their progression, making the game feel more like a race where money, rather than skill, determined success.

Community Backlash and EA’s Response

By November 2017, just weeks after the game's release, the Pay-to-Win issue exploded into a public relations disaster. The outcry from players was immediate and intense. The community voiced its anger across social media platforms, gaming forums, and even review aggregators. In addition to concerns over the imbalance created by loot boxes, many players were frustrated by the game's aggressive monetization strategy, which made progression feel artificially slow and burdensome for those not willing to pay. One of the most significant moments in this backlash came when Battlefront II became a major topic of discussion on Reddit, with a post about the game’s microtransactions receiving hundreds of thousands of upvotes. The hashtag #BoycottBattlefrontII trended on Twitter, and players began to cancel their pre-orders and review-bomb the game on sites like Metacritic. This public backlash reached such a level that even mainstream news outlets began to cover the controversy.

EA’s Initial Response

Initially, EA stood by its monetization strategy, insisting that the loot boxes were purely cosmetic and would not impact gameplay. However, the outcry became too intense to ignore. EA responded by temporarily disabling microtransactions just days after the game’s launch. In a statement, EA acknowledged that the system needed to be reworked to ensure a fairer and more balanced player experience.

The Fallout: Shifting the Focus to Player Progression

In response to the backlash, EA and DICE went to work on overhauling the progression and loot box systems in Battlefront II. They removed the ability to purchase loot boxes with real money, focusing on purely cosmetic rewards. Players could still earn Star Cards and other upgrades, but the progression system was adjusted to make sure that items impacting gameplay would only be unlocked through gameplay itself, not through paying for advantages. Furthermore, the Star Card system was overhauled. Rather than offering direct gameplay advantages, Star Cards were adjusted to provide more balanced gameplay, and their impact on combat was significantly reduced. In addition, the game's crafting system was updated to allow players to craft Star Cards using in-game currency, making it less dependent on random loot box drops.

The Impact of These Changes

These changes were a step in the right direction, but the damage had already been done. While many players returned to the game after the loot box system was disabled, the trust had been broken. Many felt that EA had prioritized profit over player satisfaction, and the perception that Battlefront II was a "Pay-to-Win" game lingered. Moreover, even though microtransactions were removed from the game, some players were still frustrated by the grind required to unlock content. This grind, combined with the game's constant push toward cosmetic sales (which still existed through other forms of microtransactions), continued to impact the overall player experience.

The Transition to Cosmetic-Only Microtransactions

In 2018, after months of reworking the game, EA and DICE made the decision to focus entirely on cosmetic microtransactions. The loot boxes were removed from the game, and all in-game purchases could only involve cosmetic items such as skins, emotes, and other purely aesthetic changes. This move was widely seen as a step toward reconciliation with the player base, but it also drew attention to the broader issue of how games were being monetized in the modern era. While Battlefront II would never fully recover from its initial backlash, the changes did help shift the focus away from gameplay-affecting pay-to-win mechanics. However, the question of whether the game could ever return to its initial promise of being a fair, fun, and rewarding experience for all players remained.

The Long-Term Effects on Battlefront II

The changes EA made to Battlefront II’s progression system did have an impact on player perception, but the reputation of the game had been permanently marred by the initial controversy. The issue of Pay-to-Win microtransactions in Battlefront II highlighted a growing concern within the gaming community: the increasing monetization of video games and the potential harm to player experience. The Battlefront II debacle also sparked wider conversations about the future of microtransactions in AAA games. Developers began to rethink how they approached monetization, with several high-profile games adjusting their systems in response to the growing backlash.

Conclusion: Lessons Learned from Battlefront II

The controversy surrounding Star Wars: Battlefront II serves as a cautionary tale for the gaming industry. While the game itself is filled with potential and can offer thrilling experiences, its monetization strategies—particularly the inclusion of Pay-to-Win mechanics—led to significant backlash. The game's rocky launch revealed how microtransactions could undermine the player experience, particularly when they affect gameplay progression. The eventual overhaul of Battlefront II's progression and loot box systems was a step in the right direction, but the damage to the game’s reputation was significant. The incident highlighted the need for transparency and fairness in monetization practices, especially in competitive games. The Battlefront II controversy serves as a reminder that, while developers must find ways to monetize their games, they must also prioritize the enjoyment and trust of the players who support them.