BioWare's upcoming sci-fi RPG Anthem is one of the first EA games to release following the controversy surrounding Star Wars Battlefront 2's loot boxes, and as such there have been a lot of questions regarding the game's approach to the feature. Luckily, BioWare has an answer and it's one that should please prospective fans.

On Twitter, Anthem lead producer Mike Gamble responded to an upset fan's concerns regarding pay to win loot boxes and paid-for downloadable content. Gamble stated, matter of factly, that "We aren't going to add loot boxes." The producer then goes onto explain that loot boxes would serve "no purpose" in the game and stressed that the cosmetics and microtransaction model for Anthem has already been outlined by BioWare.

Instead of gameplay-affecting upgrades or items, Anthem will only feature optional cosmetic changes. While the full list of cosmetics has yet to be revealed by BioWare, the idea is that if players want to stand out from the crowd in a shiny mech with a garish pattern then they can do just that. But it's not mandatory and won't have a gameplay-related effect on how players are able to take down the game's creepy, giant bug monsters.

The decision not to include loot boxes makes a considerable amount of sense. Anthem's world is built around making loot collecting fun. As such, it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense for BioWare to offer a paid-for alternative to that. Longevity of the game and how much players are enjoying and taking part in the grind for better and rarer loot benefits BioWare's bottom line. Selling loot boxes - specifically gameplay-affecting loot boxes - would go against that.

There's also the fact that by including loot boxes, BioWare could alienate a fair amount of its potential player base. Fans and critics recognize that BioWare needs a win. The weak sales performance and poor critical reception to Mass Effect Andromeda, coupled with the backlash from fans over its failure to release story DLC had a huge, negative effect on BioWare's reputation.

Including loot boxes in Anthem would run the risk of turning players off even before the game is released. BioWare is a studio already working hard to get itself back on track and many would agree that it's much safer for the studio to avoid controversial mechanics altogether.

Anthem releases February 22, 2019 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.