Whether you call it a "dick move" or a "paywall", the exclusive pack-in figure tactic has been part of the game for a long time.
I have empathy for collectors who end up in the spot of wanting the tier/pack-in figures but not wanting the Cantina. Trying to decide whether to invest $500 to get the figures hoping to recoup some of that cost two years later by selling the playset parts is definitely not ideal.
Lucky for me, I'm not in that spot. I'm fortunate enough to be standing here with $596.05 in hand, ready to buy ($50 Pulse Premium renewal + $499.99 DLX version + plus taxes). As the wise poet-philosopher Tom Petty once said, "the waiting is the hardest part". Let's get on with it already, Hasbro!