Concern is mounting that Star Wars: Battlefront 2’s microtransactions will be pay-to-win

As we know by know, DICE has completely reworked the in-game progression of Star Wars: Battlefront 2, namely to include microtransactions. Progress is mainly tied to Star Cards, which like DICE's first Battlefront serve as your character or ship's abilities in battle. Finding the right combination of moves can give players a distinct edge over others, though it appears as though Battlefront II has taken Star Cards further with the idea that they can be upgraded.

And this is where the concern is beginning to mount. As reported by Game Revolution, Battlefront 2's Loot Crates can be purchased for 1,100 in-game credits, a system made famous by Overwatch last year, and one that is described as "relatively easy to earn" by playing the game. However, it seems as though Battlefront 2 is packing far more than just cosmetic items into their crates; in-game credits, crafting items, and Star Cards.

At first glance, it doesn't appear to be too egregious. Credits can be used to purchase more Loot Crates while crafting items can be used to upgrade your Star Cards. And that's where things get dicey (pun alert).

Even though EA has come out and said that the Loot Crates are random, the fact that a player can potentially increase their odds of better stuff by pouring more cash into the game, is essentially what pay-to-win is all about. So this either means that the Loot Crates don't come with much (which makes buying them pointless, to begin with) or EA and DICE haven't projected the long-term ramifications of the system with user testing.

Of course, until the game releases in full and the system has been tested by the general public, it's all relative hearsay at this point. Scores of gamers reacted strongly to Destiny 2's ability to purchase Glimmer with real-world money, though since the game came out, those cries have died down significantly. We will know for sure when Battlefront 2 releases in full on November 17th, 2017 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

[Game Revolution, NeoGAF]