Star Wars Battlefront II has seen a lot of controversy due to the way Electronics Arts handled microtransactions and the loot boxes. The loot box system allowed players to pay real money for Crystals. These Crystals worked as in-game currency that would allow the player to purchase in-game cosmetcis that changed the characters' appearances, or to unlock special characters like Luke, Darth Vader, Han Solo and so on.
The main problem came with the fact that during online multiplayer matches, you would normally get to play as a Stormtrooper or a Rebel soldier, but heroes like Luke or Han came with different stats and were way more powerful than the other regular characters.
While you could have got the hero characters by grinding, players that paid for these heroes were at an obvious advantage, especially because grinding to get the currency needed to purchase those characters without paying real money was an incredibly time-consuming(over 40 hours of grinding) and tedious chore.
The fact that EA wanted to force players into paying extra cash for special characters made players enraged and, because of the massive backlash, EA decided to remove microtransactions...until now.
Microtransactions are back now, but this time they will only affect appearance, so nobody will have the same problem when going online and finding characters that they cannot get until they either pay, or grind for them. These Crystals will become available with the next update that is also adding the Ewoks.
Ewok Hunt is a new mode that will see the Ewoks become playable as they fight the Empire to defend their planet. This mode will have players start as an Ewok or a Stormtrooper. The battle begins when the Ewoks attack the Stormtroopers and once a Stormtrooper is defeated, that player will respawn as an Ewok until the Empire forces have been erradicated.
Beneath the evening skies of Endor, the might of the Empire means little to the Ewoks as they fight for control of their home world. In Ewok Hunt*, Star Wars™ Battlefront™ II’s exciting new mode, spears and blasters battle for dominance as a squad of stormtroopers are ambushed by a tribe of Ewoks descending from the trees to channel their hidden fury. Available only for a limited time, Ewok Hunt lets you stalk your Imperial enemy under the cover of night, or desperately fight to hold off the pint-sized throngs until you can escape.
The Battle Begins
In the new mode, you start as an Ewok or in a group of stormtroopers. The ambush begins as the Ewok attacks the unsuspecting stormtroopers, using spears, Wisties, and whatever abilities they can muster to take down the intruders. Each stormtrooper defeated spawns as another Ewok. If the Empire’s forces have been completely eliminated, the Ewoks win and their celebration can begin.
However, the stormtroopers’ superior training and firepower are more than a match for the frantic Ewoks. Armed with an arsenal of weapons as well as flashlights to cut through the darkness, players must hold back the Ewok ambush if they have a hope of surviving until an extraction team can arrive.
Crystals Return – and Some Special Appearances
Our April update isn’t just about Ewok Hunt. As part of this month’s release, Crystals will return to Star Wars™ Battlefront™ II as one of the ways for fans to unlock Appearances, including Endor Leia and Endor Han. Real-world currency can only be used to purchase Crystals, which are only redeemable for Appearances. Credits are earned through in-game activity and can be redeemed toward Appearances, as well. Over 50 additional Appearances to personalize your units will be made available in this update.
Star Wars Battlefront II is out now for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows.