Will EA and DICE be able to win back players’ trust? Star Wars Battlefront II’s progression system and economy were badly bungled, which has led to a lot of skepticism about how Battlefront V will handle things. EA has promised players won’t be able to use real money to buy anything will give them an unfair advantage, but they could always slip some other exploitative mechanic in.
Well, with early-access release only a couple weeks away, EA and DICE have provided some more details about Battlefield V’s progression and economy, and things don’t sound too bad. The game will have two currencies – Company Coin, which can be earned in-game through Career progression, Daily Missions, and Special Assignments, and Battlefield Currency, which can be purchased with real money. Battlefield Currency can be used to acquire “specific cosmetic items,” which would seem to imply some items may be real-money exclusives. Like a lot of Battlefield V features, Battlefield Currency will not be available at launch – no word yet on when it will launch.
Moving on to progression, Battlefield V players will be able to earn rewards by leveling up five separate ranks – Career Rank, Class Rank, Weapon Rank, Vehicle Rank, and Chapter Rank. Here’s a more detailed description of how each rank works:
Career Rank
This is your overall rank that increases with nearly everything you do in Battlefield V. Career Rank is represented by the familiar military rank structure (such as Private, Sergeant, Captain, and others), and increases with whatever game mode, weapon, or class you choose to play. As you gain Career Rank, you'll earn Company Coin and unlock vehicles to add to your Company.
Class Rank
This rank reflects how often you play as one of the four classes in Battlefield V: Medic, Recon, Assault, and Support. Progression in this rank unlocks Combat Roles — as well as additional primary weapons, side arms, melee weapons, gadgets, and grenades within a class.
Weapon and Vehicle Rank
Both primary weapons and vehicles have a progression system all to themselves. Earn XP while using a weapon or vehicle in battle and you can then choose to spend Company Coin to unlock choices within their Specializations. Each Specialization path changes how a weapon or vehicle plays, so you can modify it to fit your style.
Chapter Rank
Each Chapter in Tides of War brings a new battlefield that takes you and your Company into fresh gameplay experiences, including maps, modes, weapons, vehicles, cosmetics, and themed rewards. You gain Chapter Ranks by playing any game mode during the course of a Chapter, with extra bonuses for completing Tides of War missions. The more you play during the Chapter, the more Chapter rewards you’ll unlock.
Obviously, there are still details to be revealed about Battlefield V’s progression and economy – how grindy is the game? What, exactly, can be bought with Battlefield Currency? That said, given what we currently know, what are your thoughts on Battlefield V’s progression system?
Battlefield V storms onto PC, Xbox One, and PS4 on November 20. Those who buy the Deluxe Edition can play 5 days early on November 15, and Origin Access Premier members can play a whopping 11 days early on November 9.