EA made the shock announcement that it would remove microtransactions from Star Wars Battlefront 2 ahead of the game's release. The move was welcomed by many fans who had criticized the business model as pay to win, but many were also surprised that EA had acted so swiftly in response to the backlash.
It had been reported that Disney executives had pressured EA into removing the microtransactions from the game. Analysts pointed to the potential damage that the microtransaction debate could do to the Star Wars brand and some fans said that they were ditching the Star Wars franchise in all of its forms (games and movies included) as a result of the furor.
However, during the latest financial briefing, EA says that it does not have a rocky relationship with Disney after all. EA CEO Andrew Wilson denied the claims of a strained relationship between the two media juggernauts due to Star Wars Battlefront 2's microtransaction controversy, saying, "You shouldn’t believe everything you read in the press. 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.”
Apparently, EA and Disney's relationship is so strong that Wilson feels that there will be no pushback from the Mouse House when microtransactions return to Star Wars Battlefront 2 in a few months. "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," Wilson says.
While EA and Disney may be on good terms regarding the game's business model, neither company will be particularly thrilled about its sales. During this same financial call, EA confirmed that Star Wars Battlefront 2 has only sold nine million copies. The poor sales performance of this major holiday release perhaps explains why Battlefront 2's microtransactions are making a return, despite EA having previously suggested that they may be removed for good.
The Star Wars license is a major property for EA given that it is working on several games in the universe (including Respawn Entertainment's Star Wars game). It is absolutely vital for the publisher to stay on good terms with Disney and for it to receive full support for the content of its games. So while the Star Wars Battlefront 2 disaster has presumably not led to tension between the two, EA will undoubtedly be treading carefully here on out.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.