Zero Company Has No Microtransactions, but Its Best Clone Armor Costs Extra

Star Wars Zero Company will not have microtransactions.

For a single-player Star Wars game published by EA, that is the kind of sentence many players still instinctively inspect for hidden compartments.

According to Bit Reactor, there are no plans for premium currencies, rotating cosmetic stores, purchasable resource packs, or the usual collection of tiny transactions waiting behind the main menu. Customization options included in the base game will instead be unlocked through normal play.

That is genuinely good news.

There is, however, a Deluxe Edition.

No Storefront Waiting Behind the Tactical Map

During a recent community Q&A, the developers confirmed that Zero Company will not feature ongoing monetization or microtransactions.

That means players should not need to purchase individual armor paints, character skins, or equipment bundles after buying the game. Cosmetic outfits also have no effect on combat, so there is no suggestion that additional spending will provide a tactical advantage.

In an industry increasingly determined to turn every menu into a shopping district, a complete premium strategy game feels almost rebellious.

You buy the game. You play the game. The game gives you things.

A bold system, once commonly known as “how games worked.”

For more details about the campaign, Operators, permadeath, soundtrack, and release plans, our Star Wars Zero Company Complete Guide collects everything currently confirmed.

Clone Customization Sounds Surprisingly Deep

The good news extends beyond the absence of a cash shop.

All Operators can access Clone armor cosmetics from the beginning of the game, while additional Clone Trooper Operators become available later in the story. That eventually allows players to field an entire squad of customized Clone Troopers. Helmets even add voice modulation, helping each unit sound properly sealed inside Republic armor.

Lead designer James Brawley has also promised a broad selection of helmet and armor paint patterns.

For Clone Wars players, this is dangerous territory.

Give people enough helmet markings and shoulder-pad colors, and the tactical campaign may briefly become a military fashion simulator with occasional Separatist interruptions.

The Phase 1 ARC Trooper Problem

The complication is that the classic Phase 1 ARC Trooper armor set is not included among the standard customization options.

Lead producer Caydence Funk confirmed that the armor belongs exclusively to the Deluxe Edition’s Grand Army of the Republic Cosmetic Pack. The Deluxe Edition also includes another cosmetic pack and five painted weapon themes inspired by the Clone Wars era.

So yes, Zero Company has no microtransactions.

But one of its most recognizable Clone armor designs still costs extra.

This is not pay-to-win. The armor is cosmetic, provides no gameplay bonus, and does not lock away a class, mission, or tactical ability. Players buying the standard edition will apparently have plenty of other armor options to unlock.

Still, the distinction matters.

“No microtransactions” sounds like every cosmetic reward exists inside the game. In reality, some of the most desirable cosmetics are being used to sell the more expensive edition before launch.

That is much better than a permanent skin shop.

It is not quite the same as including everything.

A Fair Compromise, With One Irritating Helmet

The overall approach remains encouraging.

A paid Deluxe Edition with fixed cosmetic bonuses is transparent. Buyers can see exactly what they receive, and the game is not designed around repeatedly pushing them toward another purchase.

That separates it from live-service monetization, where cosmetics are drip-fed through shops, limited-time offers, currencies, and battle passes until nobody remembers what anything actually costs.

The disappointment is simply that Bit Reactor and EA selected such an iconic Clone look for the premium package.

There will reportedly be many other customization options available from the start and through gameplay. But anyone hoping to build a classic Phase 1 ARC Trooper without buying the Deluxe Edition will be out of luck.

Zero Company deserves credit for avoiding microtransactions.

It also deserves one raised eyebrow for placing some of its best Clone armor behind the velvet rope.