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Following a week of critical criticism and fan feedback, the microtransaction element of Star Wars Battlefront 2 has been removed from the game for its launch today.
The reviews of the game and the vocal voices of the Star Wars Battlefront community, along with those who were able to play early by purchasing the deluxe edition of the game, heavily criticised publisher EA and developer DICE for what was seen as progression locked behind monetisation.
Last night general manager of DICE, Oskar Gabrielson, posted a statement to Twitter to say that not only had the in-game crystal microtransactions been removed from the game, but that all elements within the game would now be earned via in-game progression.
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
— EA Star Wars (@EAStarWars) November 17, 2017
There’s no news on how much the game progression mechanic will be rebalanced with the temporary absence of microtransactions but the game was previously altered to lower the cost of in-game playable hero unlockables, such as Darth Vader.
On Wednesday, some of the team at DICE hosted an AMA session on Reddit to talk directly to fans and hear their concerns. By Thursday, the Belgian Gambling Commission had said it was investigating the game for potentially breaking Belgian law. The move to remove microtransactions entirely is a big one and may well put out several metaphorical fires in the short term. However, the long-term aspect of the game is still in the balance as the removal of the in-game crystal system is temporary.
