'Battlefield V' News: Loot Boxes Reported to be Cosmetic Only
EA received a lot of flak and faced major controversy last year when it came to its implementation of microtransactions and loot boxes in "Battlefront II." So, it really is not that surprising that the company decided that, for its upcoming "Battlefield V," loot boxes will be purely cosmetic.
An inside source told US Gamer that, while loot boxes are making a return for the next "Battlefield" installment, EA learned from the controversy with "Battlefront II" and decided to make sure that there would be no pay-to-win mechanics within them.
"Loot boxes are back but cosmetic only. Way more customization options for your soldiers than previous games," the source told US Gamer.
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However, Kotaku reports that, while the report is accurate, it might still be too early to tell. Few sources told the site that plans regarding microtransactions are always changing and have changed before.
At the moment, they are focusing on making it cosmetic only, but there is no saying that it will remain that way upon release. But at the same time, their sources say that EA did not take the whole loot box controversy lightly and that it is a serious focal point of their discussions.
In 2017, EA DICE was faced with serious controversy regarding its implementation of microtransactions and loot boxes in "Star Wars: Battlefront II." Many of those that played the beta before release claimed that their system was very pay-to-win and that, without spending money on microtransactions, it would be near impossible for other players to compete with those that are willing to pay the extra cost.
This controversy became such a large issue that, days before the game would launch, EA removed all forms of microtransactions from the game. But it did not end there as the issue soon entered mainstream media and other news outlets.
It eventually got to the point where politicians started to get involved such as when Hawaii lawmakers proposed new bills to limit the distribution of games that feature systems similar to loot boxes stating that they were manipulative to children under a certain age.
Regardless, it is clear that EA still remembers the maelstrom of issues that came from last year's "Battlefront" and it wants to avoid another controversy as much as it can. The developer has yet to officially disclose exactly how microtransactions will function in "Battlefield V."
