Star Wars Battlefront II (2017)
Released 17 November 2017 Developer DICE (with Criterion Games and Motive Studios) Publisher Electronic Arts
A multiplayer shooter set across the Star Wars films, where you fight as soldiers, heroes, villains and starfighter pilots in big online battles, plus a single-player story campaign. At launch it became the best-known example of paid loot boxes tied to gameplay power. EA removed paid progression and today it is a pay-once game with an optional cosmetic shop.
Money health
CautionBuilt to push spending
Addictive design
Low1 of 5 — counts the hooks designed in
Average price
—no price listed yet
Spending ceiling
No ceilingRepeat purchases, no limit
Australian rating
Science fiction violence, online interactivity
How it makes money
Caution: built to push spending
Today this is a pay-once game: the Celebration Edition, which includes the cosmetics released up to December 2019, is A$49.95 on Steam. At launch in November 2017 it also sold crystals that bought loot crates containing Star Cards, which made characters stronger, while popular heroes such as Darth Vader took an estimated 40 hours of play to unlock. After a huge backlash EA switched microtransactions off the day before release, cut hero unlock costs by 75%, and in March 2018 rebuilt progression so that Star Cards are earned by playing, heroes are unlocked for everyone and crystals buy only cosmetics. EA said sales missed its target and blamed the controversy, and its share price lost about US$3 billion in value in November 2017. Free content updates ended in April 2020.
How you pay
- Cosmetics
Since the March 2018 overhaul, crystals (the premium currency) can be used only for cosmetics, and loot crates contain credits and cosmetic items.
minor part of the game - Editions
A Celebration Edition with all cosmetic options released to that point went on sale in December 2019 alongside the Standard Edition.
minor part of the game - Pay once
The game is sold once; the Celebration Edition (all cosmetics released up to December 2019) is A$49.95 on Steam.
Techniques it uses to keep you paying or playing
- Game currency
EA's page says the game includes optional purchases of virtual currency (crystals) that can be used to acquire in-game items, alongside credits earned by playing.
minor part of the game - Always online
Steam's notice says an internet connection, an EA account and a linked Steam account are required to play, and that EA may retire online features after 30 days' notice.
minor part of the game - Data harvest
EA's page states that the software collects data for in-game advertising.
minor part of the game
Used to, but no longer
- Loot boxesremoved
At launch (November 2017) crystals bought loot crates with Star Cards that affected gameplay. EA disabled microtransactions the day before release, and from March 2018 loot crates were limited to credits and cosmetic items.
- Made scarceremoved
At launch, unlocking heroes such as Darth Vader was estimated at 40 hours of play; EA cut hero costs by 75% in November 2017 and unlocked heroes and vehicles for everyone in March 2018.
- Pay to winremoved
Launch-era Star Cards from loot crates gave paying players advantages, which critics called pay-to-win. EA removed this in 2017 and rebuilt progression around play in March 2018.
Fairer alternatives
Similar games with a healthier money model
What it costs
Price: —
| What | Where | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celebration Edition Regular price; includes cosmetics released to December 2019 |
Steam (AU) · PC | A$49.95 | Oct 2026 |
Store prices change often and sales are common; we record the regular price on the date shown.
Reviews from across the web
What the critics said
68Metacritic
Metascore
Metascore
Very PositiveSteam
player reviews
player reviews
-
6.5/ 10
IGN
Found the multiplayer progression systems harsh on players, which dragged down an otherwise capable shooter.
-
6.5/ 10
Game Informer
Called it a big, fun Star Wars game held back by loot-crate microtransactions and credit limits that made the experience uneven and pay-to-win.
-
5/ 10
Destructoid
Saw a decent multiplayer foundation weighed down by loot-crate progression, and suggested waiting for an overhaul before buying.
Scores belong to the outlets that published them; follow the links to read the full reviews. Summaries are ours.
Age ratings & content
What's in it
Content labels
- Violencemoderate
Fighting, weapons, injury and death, from cartoon bonks to realistic killing.
From ACB, ESRB and PEGI descriptors
Classification
Age ratings judge content (violence, language, gambling themes), summed up in the content labels above. They say little about how hard a game pushes spending — that's what the money badges are for. About rating boards
Safety & parental controls
Who can talk to your child, and what can they buy?
- Chat: not recorded
- Players can interact with strangers
- User-made content: not recorded
- Needs an online account
- Terms of service minimum age: 13
Online multiplayer matches you with other players. EA states you must be 13+ to access online features, and an EA Account is required. The ESRB lists online interactions as not rated. We found no EA parental-controls page for this game, so use platform family settings to control online play and spending on crystals.
Who makes it
The companies behind it, and their track record
- Shut down paid games
Shut down games people paid for
EA retired online services for Battlefield 1943, Bad Company and Bad Company 2 in December 2023 and for older-console Battlefield 3 and 4 in November 2024.
Latest on the record
- Labour
EA laid off staff at Battlefield studios including DICE
Kotaku - Game preservation
Online services ended for older Battlefield games
Electronic Arts - Monetisation
Turned off Star Wars Battlefront II purchases after player criticism of loot crates
Kotaku
- Loot-box action
Loot-box enforcement
Belgium's Gaming Commission found paid FIFA packs were gambling in 2018 and EA stopped selling FIFA Points there in 2019; a 2019 Dutch regulator order was revoked on appeal in 2022. - Crunch
Crunch reports
2005-2006: EA settled overtime class actions by artists ($15.6 million) and engineers ($14.9 million) amid reporting on long unpaid hours. - Large layoffs
Large layoffs
October 2026: EA announced the closure of BioWare amid about 400 reported job cuts; it had earlier disclosed cuts of about 6% of staff in March 2023 and about 5% in February 2024. - Shut down paid games
Shut down games people paid for
EA shut down the servers of online-only Anthem on 12 January 2026, after which the game could not be played. - Competition law
Competition-law action
Pecover v. Electronic Arts: EA paid $27 million under an antitrust class-action settlement over exclusive football licences, approved in May 2013.
Latest on the record
- Labour
Announced closure of BioWare amid about 400 job cuts
Shacknews - Court case
Brazilian first-instance court ordered R$20 million in loot-box damages, subject to appeal
Brazil Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Technical Note 55/2026) - Game preservation
Announced shutdown of Anthem's servers, ending play for owners
Electronic Arts
A company's history doesn't change this game's money verdict, which rates only how the game itself makes money. About company track records
Platforms & release
Where you can play it
| Platform | Released | Store |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 4 | 17 November 2017 | — |
| Xbox One | 17 November 2017 | — |
| Windows PC Originally on Origin; Steam release 11 June 2020. Also on the EA app and Epic Games Store. |
17 November 2017 | Store page |
Further reading
- Official website
- Star Wars Battlefront II (2017) on Wikipedia, including the loot box controversy
- EA: Star Wars Battlefront II
- Wikipedia
Facts last checked 22 October 2026. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, store.steampowered.com, store.steampowered.com, www.ea.com, www.esrb.org, www.metacritic.com, www.metacritic.com, www.gameinformer.com, www.destructoid.com. Spotted something wrong? Send a correction.