EA confirms that Star Wars Battlefront 2’s microtransactions will be making a return, also detailing a line of new character skins that players will be able to unlock.
Just days before Star Wars Battlefront 2 was released in November of last year, publisher Electronic Arts decided to temporarily remove microtransactions from the game. The publisher was responding to widespread criticism surrounding the game’s business model, which many prospective players and critics had branded as ‘pay to win’.
EA had planned to bring the microtransactions back, albeit, with significant changes. Today, EA revealed what those changes will be. In the game’s upcoming Ewok Hunt update, which lands on April 18, Star Wars Battlefront 2 will bring back microtransactions, only this time they will be cosmetic-only.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 players will be able to use real money to purchase an in-game currency called Crystals and these Crystals can, in turn, be used to purchase “Appearances,” or skins for the game’s playable characters. Crystals can only be used to purchase Appearances, though Appearances can also be purchased using Credits, which are earned by playing normally.
Over 50 Appearances will be available for Star Wars Battlefront 2 players to unlock, including Wounded Chewbacca, Scarred Kylo Ren, Endor Leia, Endor Han, and Ahch-To Rey. The figure also seems to include 40 Appearances for Troopers and includes Officer Appearances for First Order and The Empire.
The change to the game’s microtransactions is just the latest significant change that has been made to the game since the loot box backlash hit. The game’s progression system also received an overhaul, making progression in the game more linear rather than tying it to star cards. EA also assured players that items that affect gameplay can only be earned through gameplay and cannot be purchased.
It seems as though EA is working hard to win back Star Wars Battlefront 2 players, despite the initial backlash that the game received. Battlefront 2 sales were down 60% compared to the first game, likely as a direct result of the business model controversy, the company’s share price dropped and it also received huge waves of hate on social media including getting the most downvoted Reddit comment of all time. Getting Battlefront 2 back on track and getting fans back on board hasn’t been easy, but the company will be hoping that the progression and microtransactions changes go far enough in that regard.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 is currently available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
