During the Battlefield V reveal event, developer DICE confirms that the first-person shooter game will not be pay to win and that ‘skill is really key.’
At the Battlefield V reveal event earlier today, developer DICE revealed a huge amount of information about the upcoming game. Not only did DICE offer up details on which game modes the first-person shooter will include (including confirmation that the game will not feature a battle royale mode), but it also shed more light on the game’s business model.
During the livestream presentation, host Trevor Noah outright asked the Battlefield V developers if the game would be “pay to win,” or allow players to spend money in order to gain a gameplay advantage. To which DICE responded, “No, you can’t pay to get an unfair gameplay advantage in Battlefield V.”
When Noah jokingly pressed the point, asking “what if I have a lot of money?” the developer explained again that Battlefield has always been about “balanced rock, paper, scissors gameplay” and it still is in Battlefield V. Players have to play the game to earn new gear, said DICE, adding that “skill is really key.”
The developer then went on to explain how the Battlefield business model is changing. Battlefield V will not have a Premium Pass, explained DICE, granting all players access to the game’s post-launch content and live services. This was great news for those frustrated at the way that previous Battlefield games, with their paid-for DLC, had segmented the playerbase and prevented players from playing with their friends if they did not own certain maps.
Unfortunately, the developer didn’t shed much light on how Battlefield V would make money beyond the initial purchase price. While rumors that circulated ahead of the event suggested that the game would feature cosmetic skins for characters, DICE didn’t actually clarify whether that is the case. It has left fans speculating on whether the game will not only feature cosmetics but could also include something like loot boxes as well.
Details on the game’s business model may be scant, but most fans seem delighted with the confirmation that Battlefield V will not be pay to win, at least. Another EA-published shooter, Star Wars Battlefront 2, was slammed for its pay to win microtransactions and the company was forced to renege, ditching the model and completely overhauling the progression system months later. The initial pay to win controversy also negatively impacted the game’s sales. EA and DICE won’t want that to happen with Battlefield V, which is good news for those against that sort of mechanic.
Battlefield V is set to release on October 19,2018 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
