After Star Wars Battlefront 2, EA changes Need for Speed Payback loot crates, progression

EA has updated Need for Speed Payback's loot crates and progression systems to make them more generous.

The post-launch tweak comes as Star Wars Battlefront 2, EA's other big launch of the season, suffers its own progression and loot crate controversies.

Need for Speed developer Ghost Games detailed how it had altered the game via a post on reddit over the weekend. In short, crates will now offer increased Rep and Bank.

Cruicially, however, you'll also get more of both from simply playing the game, without interacting with loot boxes at all. Events and beating Roaming Racers will afford you with more Rep and Bank to boost your progression.

While these latest changes were announced after EA's last-minute (but temporary) removal of Battlefront 2 microtransactions, Ghost Games has said its updates were "already happening".

"As you've seen from previous updates recently, we've been working on improving your experience with the progression," Ghost Games spokesperson F8RGE wrote.

"We've been using community feedback, along with our own in-game data and have come up with a number of changes, many of which are in the process of going live. Our aim with these changes is to make the progression, especially around the ownership of cars a much more enjoyable experience.

"If you're currently playing the game while reading this, please restart in order for the changes to come into effect."

• Increased the amount of REP awarded by taking part in events.
• Increased the amount of Bank awarded by taking part in events.
• Bait crates now reward increased REP.
• Bait crates now reward increased Bank.
• Competing against a Roaming Racer will reward you with increased REP.
• Competing against a Roaming Racer will reward you with increased Bank.
• Air Suspension will now appear more frequently within Shipments.
• Slightly increased REP and Bank for finishing an event outside of first place.

"Today's changes are just phase one and we have further tweaks coming," Ghost Games concluded. Tune-up shops are next on the list of things to fix - specifically "the quality / level of parts they stock".

Like Battlefront 2, Need for Speed Payback has its own premium currency which you can use to acquire in-game loot, termed Shipments. These contain Bank, Vanity Items and Part Tokens to tweak your car. Currency packs range from £1.99 to £39.99.

But change is good - and from Martin's Need for Speed Payback review, it sounds like it was much needed. Eurogamer's resident petrolhead deemed Payback "a grossly unremarkable open world racer that marks another step back for the series".