EA has removed microtransactions in Star Wars Battlefront 2, shortly before the game's official launch today.
Players can no longer buy loot boxes with real-world money in Origin, PlayStation, and Microsoft stores. EA has released a statement from DICE General Manager Oskar Gabrielson not long after the change was implemented. Here's the full statement:
"Thank you to everyone in our community for being the passionate fans that you are.
"Our goal has always been to create the best possible game for all of you - devoted Star Wars fans and game players alike. We've also had an ongoing commitment to constantly listen, tune and evolve the experience as it grows. You've seen this with both the major adjustments, and polish, we have made over the past several weeks.
"But as we approach the worldwide launch, it's clear that many of you feel there are still challenges in the design. We've heard the concerns about potentially giving players unfair advantages. And we've heard that this is overshadowing an otherwise great game. This was never our intention. Sorry we didn't get this right.
"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. This means that the option to purchase crystals in the game is now offline, and all progression will be earned through gameplay. The ability to purchase crystals in-game will become available at a later date, only after we've made changes to the game. We'll share more details as we work through this.
"We have created a game that is built on your input, and it will continue to evolve and grow. Star Wars Battlefront II is three times the size of the previous game, bringing to life a brand new Star Wars story, space battles, epic new multiplayer experiences across all three Star Wars eras, with more free content to come. We want you to enjoy it, so please keep your thoughts coming. And we will keep you updated on our progress."
The main takeaway from the statement is that microtransactions will eventually return sometime in the future after DICE has "made changes to the game." The timetable for the Return of the Microtransactions was not detailed in the statement.
VentureBeat reports that Disney CEO Bob Iger and EA CEO Andrew Wilson had a little chat prior to the announcement of the launch day changes in Battlefront 2.
The full details of that conversation were not detailed in the report, but it probably included Iger telling Wilson to get their shit together because the loot boxes controversy - which has attracted the attention of mainstream media - is dragging the entire Star Wars franchise into the mud.
EA has been under heavy fire recently after players found out that loot boxes actually affect the gameplay instead of being merely cosmetic items. Meaning, players with loaded wallets get unfair advantages over players who choose to unlock content simply by playing the game. This type of business model is typically seen in free-to-play games and does not belong in a full-priced AAA game.
EA tried to put out the flames, cutting the cost of big-time characters such as Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader and holding a Reddit AMA. Both of which did nothing to turn down the heat. The Reddit AMA, in particular, was ridiculed, with players pointing out that the hosts stayed away from actually answering questions directly related to the issue at hand.
Players were delighted when EA initially announced that future Battlefront 2 content will be available for free. But turns out, there's a price for that, and it rhymes with crap boxes.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 launches today.