De laatste games van Electronic Arts met een multiplayer mode kregen een code om de multiplayer mode te activeren, de zogenaamde en veel gehate online Pass. Waar door een game tweede hands kopen bijna zinloos is geworden. Maar Crytek heeft bekend gemaakt dat Crysis 2 GEEN online pass zal krijgen. De reden hier voor is niet dat Electronic Arts nu geld teveel heeft, maar omdat deze online pass werd ingevoerd toen de game al in ontwikkeling was en omdat Crytek wilt dat zoveel mogelijk mensen kennis kunnen maken met Crysis 2.

During my recent trip to NYC I was able to get some hands on time with Crysis 2 and a few minutes with one of the developers from Crytek. As I was playing the game I was trying to poke and prod with various questions. I received an unsuspected answer when I asked if Crysis 2 would have the "EA Online Pass" feature that game renters/used game buyers seem to despise. Crysis 2 will not require an EA Online Pass to play multiplayer.

Since Crytek is in the EA partner program, they were given the option to have the Online Pass. Instead they opted out of it for a couple of reasons. At the time it was offered, the online pass was still in its infancy stages and Crytek did not want Crysis 2 to be a testbed. Secondly; Crytek realizes that most console gamers have not experienced a Crysis game yet. They didn't want to put a wall up to keep people away from the multiplayer and instead wanted to aim at sustaining its popularity even longer than most first person shooters who's name doesn't begin with "Call" or "Halo".