We knew it was coming, but we didn’t know when. Well, as it turns out, Battlefield 5’s premium “Battlefield Currency” launches tomorrow on April 4. This payment system will exist alongside Company Coins, which players can earn in-game. Apparently “the balanced rock-paper-scissors gameplay” that gamers love about Battlefield will remain untouched, according to an official EA blog post. Instead, the Battlefield 5 premium currency is bought with real money and will allow for cosmetic upgrades, elite gear sets, and various time savers.
Currently, players buy cosmetics through Company Coins as well as by leveling up the different classes. Unlocks include items of the common, uncommon, and rare tiers. With Battlefield Currency comes a new tier: epic. These items must be bought with premium funds, though said funds can be used for lower-tier gear as well. More cosmetics will come in the future, with some available through in-game progression.
The Chapter 3 multiplayer update, which is now live, will soon introduce “The Elite” character class. These heroes come with a unique name and background alongside a themed set of items and animations. The Elite classes also come with special missions that unlock a distinct melee weapon for further use. Yet, somehow these characters don’t have any sort of gameplay advantage. We’re unsure about when these characters will drop, but EA promises more details soon. The first two Elites are Seamus and Ernst.
Finally, we have Time Savers. These are also coming later, and will exist in two forms: Tier Catch-Ups and XP Boosts. Tier Catch-Ups unlock limited season-specific items for players who don’t have time to get them all, while XP Boosts give more experience for completing in-game actions.
Battlefield Currency will also come in “value bundles,” which are limited-time packs of customization items. One example is the Battlefield 5 Starter Pack,which contains the following:
- 500 Battlefield Currency
- Glacial – Face paint (Rare)
- Night Owl – Weapon Skin Set (Rare) for four weapons:
- Sturmgewehr 1-5
- Sten
- KE7
- Lee-Enfield No.4 Mk I
Hopefully this Premium Currency won’t see as much backlash as Battlefront 2’s did. One would hope EA and DICE have learned their lessons, after all. If you haven’t yet, be sure check out our review of Battlefield 5’s Firestorm battle-royale mode. Alternatively, if you’ve been suffering from the Battlefield 5 empty armory bug, we’ve got some information on that too.
