EA Exec Responds To Battlefront 2 Microtransaction Controversy

One of the most-discussed elements of Star Wars: Battlefront II has been around the game's use of loot boxes and microtransactions. The game lets you pay for loot boxes that include items that affect gameplay, and not everyone is happy about this. Now, EA CFO Blake Jorgensen has responded, saying during a speaking event this week that you can expect developer DICE to constantly update the game over time as player feedback comes online as it has this week. [Update: A major change has already been made, with Battlefront II's microtransactions being removed just before launch.]

"The beauty of games today is you can constantly tune those games," Jorgensen said during the UBS Global Technology Conference 2017 this week. "So things that we we heard today, we'll tune in the game, and they'll be different tomorrow. Running a live service is all about constantly watching and listening to and reacting to the community to try to develop great gameplay."

Jorgensen said this is very different than the "old days" when people would play a game and then move on. Now, EA wants to keep players engaged--and spending--in a game long after release. For Battlefront II, Jorgensen said "people need to be patient" until EA can find acceptable values for things like hero credit-unlock values and more.

"But also [players should] really understand that we listen to the community very closely and we will always be changing the games to make those games better and make the community more excited about playing those games," Jorgensen said.

Also during the call, Jorgensen spoke generally about EA's approach to the games-as-a-service model. He said Battlefield 4 was a missed opportunity in this regard. It is consistently in the top 10 most played games for EA, Jorgensen mentioned, adding that the game could have made even more money if it had a "live service" component.

Overall, Jorgensen said he sees the live service model as being a "huge opportunity" for EA, so you can expect to see more of this going forward.

Battlefront II officially releases on November 17 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, though if you pick up the Deluxe edition you can start playing now. You can read more in our Battlefront II multiplayer pre-review.