There Won't Be Any Loot Boxes in Need For Speed Heat

Need for Speed Heat was announced earlier this week alongside a trailer and November 8 release date. EA has wasted little time in reaffirming that loot boxes won't be a part of the upcoming title.

That's according to EA community lead Ben Walke. In reply to a user on Reddit, Walke said, "There are no loot boxes in NFS Heat and there won't be." Instead, EA plans on monetizing the driving game with car packs and a time-saver pack. "We plan to have post-launch paid-DLC in the form of car packs," Walke replied to another Reddit user. "Later this year we'll introduce a time-save pack, which will show all collectables on the map. That's it."

It's a notable shift for EA, following in the wake of separate controversies surrounding the inclusion of loot boxes in games like Star Wars: Battlefront 2 and Need for Speed Payback. It comes at a time when loot boxes are facing increased scrutiny from both players and even certain governments, with many likening the practice to gambling. US Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) has introduced a bill that would ban the practice. This follows countries like Belgium and the Netherlands forbidding their sale.

Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo recently announced they're working on new policies that would require publishers to disclose the rarity rates for items in purchased loot boxes on their platforms. "I run community for Star Wars, Battlefield and NFS, so not my first rodeo," Walke said in another Reddit post.

"Coming into the reveal one of the things we agreed we would detail is the monetisation options, no loot boxes, car packs etc. No scape goat here."