Darth Jar Jar Joins Fortnite: Unlock Him After Earning 1 Million XP

Fortnite's Star Wars season has just unveiled its most anticipated skin yet from a galaxy far, far away, but it's come with a twist that's left fans reeling. The iconic Darth Jar Jar skin was released in Fortnite's Shop over the weekend, but with a unique catch: players must first grind out an impressive 1.28 million XP to unlock the ability to purchase it. Even after reaching this milestone, the skin still costs 1500 V-Bucks, roughly $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 condensed Star Wars season. With the season set to conclude on June 7, the time pressure is on for players to gather the necessary XP, adding an extra layer of challenge even for those who have already completed their battle pass.

The community's reaction has been mixed. On platforms like Reddit, some fans expressed frustration over the XP barrier, with one stating, "I was so hyped for this skin and was fine with it being behind a paywall, 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."

Adding to the controversy, a standard Jar Jar Binks skin was released simultaneously, available for the same 1500 V-Bucks without any XP requirement. For those looking to collect all Jar Jar Binks-related items, including accessories for both the Sith and Gungan versions, the total cost could reach up to 6,500 V-Bucks, which has sparked further debate. "Regular Jar Jar alone is 20 dollars," another fan noted. "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."

Fortnite x Star Wars Watch Party Island Screenshots

View 7 ImagesOn the flip side, some players have argued that Jar Jar is merely a cosmetic choice, and there's no obligation to purchase him. "It wasn't that hard to earn the XP; it took me around 8/9 hours," one player shared. "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 realized 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 the release of a new customizable Mandalorian skin in the game's Shop. The season will culminate in a live narrative event on June 7, where fans anticipate boarding the Death Star that has loomed over the game's Island since the season's start.

Amidst these in-game developments, Epic Games continues to navigate its ongoing legal battle with Apple, with Fortnite remaining blocked from returning to the iPhone App Store in the US.