In what will go down as one of the few instances where a large video game publisher has actually listened to its passionate fan base, EA has removed all in-game purchases from Star Wars Battlefront II, the publisher/developer’s upcoming multiplayer-focused Star Wars first-person shooter.
The game’s launch has been marred in controversy that primarily surrounds its loot box system. Prior to this decision, while players were able to unlock new heroes, equipment and vehicles by actually progressing through the game, the amount of time to unlock every extra amounted to over 4,500 hours, according to some estimates. Instead, EA had planned to push players to purchase these items through ‘Crystals’ purchased with real-world money.
Today, we turned off in-game purchases for #StarWarsBattlefrontII. The game is built on your input, and it will continue to evolve and grow. Read the full update: https://t.co/asGASaYXVp pic.twitter.com/vQSOmsWRgk
— EAStarWars (@EAStarWars) November 17, 2017
As expected, fans weren’t fond of this decision, with thousands of players voicing their frustration on social media platforms and video game communities across the internet.
Late last night, EA announced plans to pull all in-game purchases from Battlefront II, with DICE general manager Oskar Gabrielson stating his studio plans to “spend more time listening, adjusting, balancing and tuning.” This means that it’s likely that in-game transactions will return to Battlefront II in some form in the future.
VentureBeat reports that the decision was reached after Disney CEO Bob Iger had a phone call with EA CEO Andrew Wilson regarding the Battlefront II controversy.
Before completely removing in-game transactions, EA tried to placate fans by making it easier for players to unlock new heroes, though the shift was viewed by most as not enough. EA’s first Battlefront title for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 was heavily criticized for lacking a single-player mode, as well as for offering a limited progression system in terms of multiplayer.
While Star Wars Battlefront II’s digital deluxe edition has been available to players since November 14th, the title’s wider release is today, November 17th. The game is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.
Do you still plan to pick-up Star Wars Battlefront II? Let us know in the comment section.
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
