After many years of slowly pushing more and more obnoxious 'microtransactions', EA finally ran into trouble with Star Wars Battlefront 2. On release, not only were some fan-favorite characters locked behind an absolutely insane grind, but you could also gain objective upgrades through random drops from loot boxes, loot boxes you could buy with actual money! And so, in a rare moment of solidarity, the gaming community came together and firmly rejected the whole idea, with the resulting backlash being so large and so loud that EA quickly pulled the whole microtransaction system.

However, while this stopped players from being able to buy their way to power, there was still a noticeable element of randomness that dictated how strong your favorite classes could possibly be. As such, I am very glad to say that the long-awaited Progression Update will be coming out this March 21st in order to minimize randomness and give players an option to specialize in whichever way they want.

So instead of getting random Star Cards from loot boxes, you will earn individual experience points for each class, hero and vehicle you decide to mess around with. Once you gain a level up with your chosen unit you will be able to either unlock or upgrade whichever Star Card you like. Furthermore, Star Cards and any items that might impact gameplay will only be obtainable through in-game means, so the progression system will be exactly the same for all players. This is something that should've been in-game since the very beginning, but I suppose it's better late than never.

This change is going to be especially noticeable for vehicles

As for the crates themselves, they will no longer be available for purchase. Instead, they will be earned by logging in daily, completing Milestones, or through timed challenges. Inside of these crates you'll find credits and cosmetic items such as emotes or victory poses, but nothing that impacts the gameplay in any way. Again, this is something that should've been the case since the very beginning, but it's still good to see this change go through.

Starting in April, you will also be able to purchase appearances directly through in-game credits or with crystals. The details are still shrouded in mystery, but you can expect to see a variety of new cosmetics for both the base classes and the heroes themselves. Now this is how you handle microtransactions - no silly randomness!

That's pretty much it as far as the Progression Update is concerned, but what I would like to say is that you made this happen! If the gaming community at large didn't push back against these changes then Star Wars Battlefront 2 would still be a complete mess of a game, and that right there would be a darn shame since the gameplay itself is actually quite fun. So if you see any predatory microtransactions try and establish themselves in the future, make sure to speak up because there truly is power in numbers!