EA Temporarily Removes 'Star Wars Battlefront 2' Microtransactions Right Before Launch
Bowing to pressure from fans, EA has pulled out microtransactions from "Star Wars Battlefront 2" hours before the game's official launch on Thursday, Nov. 16. The company announced that they will be making changes to the progression mechanics before restoring in-game purchases as well.
It was a shocking conclusion to the weeks-long controversy that peaked with the most downvoted Reddit post of all time. Oskar Gabrielson, General Manager at DICE, also announced the sudden decision just before the title launched.
"Today, we turned off in-game purchases for #StarWarsBattlefrontII," Gabrielson posted via the EA Star Wars Twitter handle on Thursday. "The game is built on your input, and it will continue to evolve and grow," he added, before referring followers to their official news update about the pull-out.
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Their explanation, which was also posted on the image on their Twitter post, was relatively short. "Sorry we didn't get this right," Gabrielson said in his update, before going right into the heart of the matter.
"We hear you loud and clear, so we're turning off all in-game purchases. We will now spend more time listening, adjusting, balancing and tuning," he explained.
"This means that the option to purchase crystals in the game is now offline, and all progression will be earned through gameplay," the DICE General manager announced, shortly before "Star Wars Battlefront 2" went live. This decision will be temporary for now, though.
In-game purchases of these crystals, which will unlock heroes, ships and equipment in the game, will be back sometime in the future but "only after we've made changes to the game," Gabrielson assured fans.
This move comes in the wake of a huge outrage that started when Early Access players saw the hours of grind that it would take to unlock the game's heroes unless one was willing to buy loot crates and in-game currency with real money.
