In a surprising development, Electronic Arts have decided to remove the ability to purchase crystals with real-world money in Star Wars Battlefront 2.

Crystals were the in-game currency that would be only available with real-world cash. Crystals were the primary means of using the in-game microtransactions, but their absence in the menus of Star Wars Battlefront 2 points to them possibly being removed entirely from the game.

In a statement posted moments ago, DICE GM Oskar Gabrielson shared that teams at DICE and EA are listening to their fanbase over the recent controversies surrounding the in-game microtransactions.

We’ve heard the concerns about potentially giving players unfair advantages. And we’ve heard that this is overshadowing an otherwise great game. This was never our intention. Sorry we didn’t get this right. We hear you loud and clear, so we’re turning off all in-game purchases. We will now spend more time listening, adjusting, balancing and tuning. This means that the option to purchase crystals in the game is now offline, and all progression will be earned through gameplay. The ability to purchase crystals in-game will become available at a later date, only after we’ve made changes to the game. We’ll share more details as we work through this.

While the move is a temporary one, the removal of crystals in-game is a monumental change to the game's overall online system.

Rumblings about the change were first heard online with several journalists tweeting about the inability to buy items with crystals in their versions of the game.

Rumors swirling that EA is about to pull an Xbox One... — Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) November 17, 2017

It would appear that the ability to purchase crystals with real money has been removed from Star Wars Battlefront II. pic.twitter.com/pa6lnyKggh — Jeff Gerstmann (@jeffgerstmann) November 17, 2017

Starting to see reports that EA is taking down premium currency from digital stores for Battlefront II... microtransactions removed? — Jez (@JezCorden) November 17, 2017

"We have created a game that is built on your input, and it will continue to evolve and grow," said Gabrielson. "Star Wars Battlefront II is three times the size of the previous game, bringing to life a brand new Star Wars story, space battles, epic new multiplayer experiences across all three Star Wars eras, with more free content to come. We want you to enjoy it, so please keep your thoughts coming. And we will keep you updated on our progress."

Star Wars Battlefront 2 has been mired with controversy on the eve of the game's official release, including concerns with the game's microtransactions and recently, the game, along with Blizzard's Overwatch, being investigated by the Belgium Gaming Commission over concerns on the games promoting gambling through microtransactions.

Star Wars Battlefront 2 will be released tomorrow on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC via Origin.

What are your thoughts on this story? Will this change your mind about Battlefront 2? Leave your comments below.