Star Wars: Battlefront II sold only nine million copies well below what was considered a conservative target by EA of ten million. The game has also struggled to reach revenue projections, which has prompted EA to confirm that micro transactions will be returning to the game.
After hastily removing the ability to buy crystals, virtual currency for the lootbox-driven progression mechanic of the game, hours ahead of the game’s launch, EA promised that they would bring them back once they figured out how to better make them fit into the multiplayer game. Today, EA explained that the micro transactions will be returning within the next few months.
Additionally, EA CEO Andrew Wilson was quick to clarify that the supposedly acrimonious row between the publisher and Disney was fictional and their relationship was no weaker for the controversy. “You shouldn’t believe everything you read in the press,” explained Wilson. “We have a tremendous relationship with Disney and we have built some amazing games together, and we have been very proactive with that relation in the service of our players.
“We’re at a point where, when we make the decision that we have the right model for players and our community, I have no doubt that we will get the support of Disney on that,” he said when discussing reintroducing the micro transaction model back into Battlefront II.
EA has revised their forecast to expect Battlefront II’s sales to hit its original 10-11 million goal by the end of the fiscal year, or the start of April. This number still puts it behind the first game in the same time frame, which sold fourteen million by that point.
