EA Community Manager Ben Walke has confirmed that Need for Speed Heat will “never” have loot boxes, a feature that has been a source of constant controversy over the past several years as it evolved into a more pay-to-win approach. The clarification also bodes well for those excited for the Heat announcement, especially given the franchise’s marketable history.
Walke took to Reddit to confirm their no loot box approach with the upcoming racing game saying “There are no loot boxes in NFS Heat and there won’t be.” Additionally, he also briefly mentioned the game’s paid DLC plans that will include new cars and features they will be offering that will make collecting map collectables even easier.
It will be interesting to see how EA evolves beyond microtransactions and loot boxes. This practice isn’t a new one, but it was one of their IPs that set off a chain reaction on a global scale with legislation looking into gambling charges and ways to protect consumers. The conversation came to a head when Star Wars Battlefront II info leaked mentioning that EA deliberately altered the multiplayer experience to “make players believe” that success was reliant upon certain in-game purchases.
Now that the dust has begun to settle and EA’s continued promises of change, only time will tell which way their popular franchises will turn – especially when looking at their sports line.
