Star Wars: Squadrons Confirms It Won't Have Controversial Feature

Electronic Arts officially pulled back the curtain today on Star Wars: Squadrons. The first-person dogfight title is set to release later this year, and fans will be happy to know that the game will not feature the use of microtransactions. Microtransactions have long been a source of controversy amongst gamers, and EA's Star Wars Battlefront II received a heavy amount of derision at launch for gouging gamers with them. EA eventually dropped that feature from the game, but Star Wars fans can rest easy knowing that they won't have to worry about it at all when Squadrons releases later this year.

In Star Wars: Squadrons, players will be able to enjoy both single-player and multiplayer modes. The multiplayer component of the game will allow players to join-up with others online, and there will be multiple options for customizing the game's vehicles. That particular feature should make ships really stand out during the game's frenzied space battles. Fortunately, those customization options will be unlocked through gameplay, not by making in-game purchases.

EA's decision to leave microtransactions out of Star Wars: Squadrons is certainly notable. While microtransactions make a lot of sense in free-to-play titles, gamers expect a full experience when they purchase a game at full price. While Battlefront II eventually became a well-regarded Star Wars title, fans were quite upset when the game launched back in 2017. The absence of microtransactions in Squadrons does not mean that EA will be dumping the overall practice any time soon, but it does show that the publisher is learning from its past mistakes.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Squadrons already seems to have Star Wars fans excited for the game's release. It's been a while since a Star Wars game focused primarily on space battles, and the concept and trailer have given fans a lot to be happy about! Little additional information has been revealed about the game as of this writing, but fans should be able to get a glimpse at some gameplay from Squadrons during EA Play Live 2020, which is set to kick-off on Thursday June 18th.

Star Wars: Squadrons will release October 2nd on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The game will retail for $39.99.

Are you looking forward to Star Wars: Squadrons? Are you happy that the game won't feature any microtransactions? Let us know in the comments or share directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!