Over the weekend, we learned that Star Wars Battlefront 2 developer EA told investors that the removal of the game's controversial microtransactions will not have "a material impact" on its projected earnings. On Friday, the Disney-owned Lucasfilm issued a statement in support of the withdrawal.
In an statement provided to the Washington Post (via Eurogamer), a Lucasfilm spokesperson said: "Star Wars has always been about the fans—and whether it’s Battlefront or any other Star Wars experience, they come first. That’s why we support EA’s decision to temporarily remove in-game payments to address fan concerns."
Despite EA's earlier claims that Battlefront 2's loot crates did not constitute gambling, they were temporarily removed last week off the back of a turbulent Reddit AMA between the publisher and the game's players.
The Washington Post reports that Jimmy Pitaro, the chairman of Disney's consumer products and interactive media division, voiced concerns to EA about Battlefront's in-game transactions hours prior to EA's decision to pull them. The Post says this call "was to express Disney executives’ unhappiness at how the outrage 'reflected on their marquee property.'"
Lucasfilm and Disney's stance seems clear, then, despite the fact EA plans to reinstate microtransactions once the game's progression system has been tweaked.
If you're yet to play Star Wars Battlefront 2, head in this direction for Tyler's review.
