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EA’s somewhat bold Reddit AMA panned out much as you might expect, with the publisher not saying a huge amount in the face of extreme hostility among participants.
The move came after a recent EA statement in defence of the spiralling Star Wars Battlefront 2 loot box controversy became the most downvoted on Reddit ever. And while many of the answers the company offered in the AMA were variations of existing statements, Battlefront 2 associate design director Dannis Brannvall did offer a ray of hope for players.
“Nothing is too late,” he said in response to a question asking if the game could shift to a model of only handing out cosmetic items in purchasable loot crates, as seen in other titles like Overwatch.
“As you’ve noticed, we weren’t able to get the customization system into the game in time for launch. I’m actually having artists and designers walk up to me today showing me cosmetic stuff they really want to get out there. I think we have probably the best looking Clone Troopers ever made and I know players really want to customize them (I know I do). I can’t really commit to a date just yet, but we’re working on stuff and I believe it will change the game tremendously on all levels.”
Other comments included assurances that the criticism “has come through loud and clear”, the argument that matchmaking will prevent players who have not paid to unlock items from facing off against those who have, sadness that the loot box controversy has meant the game has not reviewed as strongly as its other elements deserve and a commitment to ongoing dialogue.
Elsewhere, however, CNBC reports that concern about how the backlash might effect the game’s commercial performance has spread to Wall Street. And the sag has escalated so much that it’s even now getting mainstream coverage on the likes of the Mirror and BBC.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 is officially released tomorrow (November 17th).
