Fortnite's Star Wars season has just introduced its most anticipated skin yet, Darth Jar Jar, but with a twist that's left fans reeling. To even purchase this skin, players must first grind through a staggering 1.28 million XP. And even after reaching that milestone, the skin still comes with a price tag of 1500 V-Bucks, approximately $13.
While Fortnite has previously locked skins behind XP requirements, this move marks a rare occurrence, especially for a skin as eagerly awaited as Darth Jar Jar during this shortened Star Wars season. With the season set to end on June 7, players are feeling the pressure to accumulate the necessary XP, even those who've already completed their battle pass.
The community's reaction has been mixed. One Reddit user expressed frustration, stating, "I was so hyped for this skin and was fine with it being behind a pay wall, after all it is just another skin. But this whole locked behind an XP wall is ridiculous. You want me to earn the right to give you money? I immediately closed the game." Another point of contention is the simultaneous release of a regular Jar Jar Binks skin, which, while not requiring XP, still costs 1500 V-Bucks separately.
For those wanting to collect everything Jar Jar Binks-related, including accessories for both the Sith and Gungan variants, the total could reach up to 6,500 V-Bucks. This has led to further outcry, with a fan pointing out, "Regular Jar Jar alone is 20 dollars. If you want both that s**t is 52 entire ass dollars for something that ought to have just been 1 skin with 3 styles."
On the flip side, some players argue that Jar Jar is merely a cosmetic choice, and there's no obligation to purchase him. One player shared their experience, "It wasn't that hard to earn the XP; took me around 8/9 hours. I had no plans on Saturday. I did it in 3 sittings, but all in one day. I played Rocket Racing and Ranked and did Alignment Challenges to farm as much XP as possible. Nothing is making anyone get every item in the Shop; you can just pick and choose, and the fact he was just 1500 V-Bucks when Deathstroke was 1,800 V-Bucks, I wasn't bothered at all by the price. I was pissed off at first, then I realised after a couple hours that I had over 300,000 XP already."
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As Fortnite's Star Wars season progresses, the focus shifts to Mandalorian warriors this week, with a new customizable Mandalorian skin set to appear in the game's Shop. The season will culminate in a live narrative event on June 7, rumored to involve players boarding the Death Star that has loomed over the game's Island since the season began.
In other news, Epic Games' ongoing legal battle with Apple has intensified, with Fortnite being blocked from returning to the iPhone App Store in the US earlier this month.