Fortnite's Star Wars season has just unveiled one of its most anticipated skins yet, Darth Jar Jar, but with a twist that has left fans reeling: it's locked behind a hefty 1.28 million XP grind. Over the weekend, players discovered that even after reaching this substantial XP threshold, they would still need to shell out 1500 V-Bucks (approximately $13) to acquire the skin.
While Fortnite has previously required XP to unlock skins, this move marks a rare occurrence, especially for a skin as eagerly awaited as Darth Jar Jar during this condensed Star Wars season. With the season set to end on June 7, the clock is ticking for players to accumulate the necessary XP, adding a fresh challenge even for those who have already completed their battle pass.
The reaction among the community has been mixed. One Reddit user expressed their frustration, saying, "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." The sentiment is echoed by others, particularly given the simultaneous release of a regular Jar Jar Binks skin, which, while not requiring XP, still costs 1500 V-Bucks.
For fans looking to collect all Jar Jar Binks-related items, the total cost could climb to 6,500 V-Bucks. This has led to further outcry, with one player commenting, "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 have taken a more pragmatic approach, pointing out that Jar Jar skins are merely cosmetic and optional. One fan shared their experience, stating, "It wasn't that hard to earn the XP; it 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 of hours that I had over 300,000 XP already."
As Fortnite's Star Wars season progresses, the focus shifts to Mandalorian warriors this week, with a highly anticipated customizable Mandalorian skin set to hit the game's Shop. The season will culminate in a live narrative event on June 7, which fans speculate will involve boarding the Death Star looming over the game's Island.
Amidst these developments, Epic Games continues to navigate its ongoing legal battles, with recent tensions with Apple intensifying after Fortnite was blocked from returning to the iPhone App Store in the US.
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