Microtransactions
Ongoing coverage on Microtransactions.
Latest coverage
Capcom is finally removing scummy character customization vouchers from Monster Hunter Wilds, players immediately dance…
Capcom has announced that character edit vouchers, which required real money purchases for appearance changes in Monster Hunter Wilds, will be removed from the game. This change will be implemented with the launch of the Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance expansion in 2027, and players will be able to re-edit their characters freely. The decision has been met with widespread approval from the game's community, who have long criticized these microtransactions.
PlayStation Store Adds Intriguing New PS5 Adventure Game for Free
Five-BN Studios' hidden-object puzzle game, Legendary Tales 1: Stolen Life, is now available for free on the PlayStation Store for PlayStation 5 players. The game, previously released on PC and smartphones, features Lucia on a quest to rescue her brother from a witch by solving puzzles and finding hidden objects. While the base game is free, it includes optional microtransactions for skipping puzzles and unlocking bonus content.
GTA 6 soundtrack up for pre-order and unlike the game will be on a disc
Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive are releasing a 36-track soundtrack album for Grand Theft Auto 6, available on disc and vinyl alongside the game's launch. The album features new singles from artists like Travis Scott and Keith Richards, with physical pre-orders available on Rockstar's website and other retailers. This contrasts with the game itself, which will not have a physical disc release.
How to Get an Aniimo Fulminous Soul [Fulmintis Obtainment]
This guide explains how to obtain the Aniimo Fulminous Soul, a necessary item for evolving Wisptis into Fulmintis in the game Aniimo. The Fulminous Soul is exclusively obtained through the paid Advanced Edition's Companion Handbook, requiring players to reach level 10. The article discusses whether Fulmintis is worth the real-money investment, noting its powerful Lightning-based skills but also the availability of free Lightning-type Aniimo.
Aniimo – How To Collect “Shiny” Sparkling Aniimo
This guide explains how to find and collect rare "shiny" sparkling Aniimo variants in the game Aniimo. It details methods such as wild spawns, egg hatching (including rare Sparkling Eggs), and using Sparkling Cubes obtained through in-game currency or microtransactions.
'The future of humanity' depends on kids playing Fortnite claims Epic Games boss
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has controversially claimed that Fortnite is crucial for the development of the next generation of humanity, in response to potential EU bans on children playing online games. The article criticizes Sweeney's comparison of games to traditional creative outlets and highlights concerns regarding microtransactions and content safety within Fortnite and Roblox.
Monster Hunter Wilds Players Get Free Edits Before Unlimited Changes
Capcom is removing Edit Vouchers from Monster Hunter Wilds digital storefronts on December 3, providing players with 10 free Character and 10 free Palico Edit Vouchers. Next year, with the Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance update, all players will receive unlimited free appearance edits for their hunter and Palico, regardless of whether they purchase the expansion. Players who previously bought vouchers will receive a special pendant set instead of a refund.
Monster Hunter Wilds will soon stop charging players to edit their characters as Capcom scraps the game's worst microtransaction
Capcom is removing the controversial microtransaction for character edits in Monster Hunter Wilds, effective December 3. Players will receive free edit vouchers, and future expansions like Ascendance will offer unlimited free edits. While players who previously paid for edits will not be refunded, they will receive a special in-game pendant set as compensation.
Free-to-play Pokemon and Palworld-like Aniimo launches to "Mixed" Steam reviews: "It's very much a…
The free-to-play creature collector Aniimo, developed by Pawprint Studio, has launched on PC and consoles to a "Mixed" reception on Steam. While praised for its cute visuals and comparisons to Palworld and Infinity Nikki, many negative reviews cite aggressive monetization, predatory gacha mechanics, and pay-to-win elements as significant drawbacks.
Blizzard is aware Overwatch fans are tired of seeing its fanciest skins go to the same heroes and it's 'the…
Overwatch 2 players are frustrated with Blizzard Entertainment's perceived favoritism in distributing new skins, particularly the expensive Mythic skins. Heroes like Kiriko and Genji have received multiple high-tier skins, while others have received very few, leading to player dissatisfaction. Art director Dion Rogers acknowledged the feedback and stated the team will work on a more even distribution in the future.
World of Warcraft: Forever has a new race you can't get without paying $30, and it's not the first impression fans were hoping for: "They are just blue elves"
Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming World of Warcraft: Forever expansion will feature a new race, the Skyborne, which is locked behind a $29.99 paywall. This pricing strategy has drawn significant criticism from fans on Reddit, who also feel the new race's design is uninspired and too similar to existing elf races. The company has yet to comment on the controversy.
World of Warcraft Forever aims to combat dungeon boosting, says ‘no plans’ for WoW Tokens
Blizzard Entertainment has stated that its upcoming World of Warcraft Forever will not include the WoW Token or paid character boosts, at least for now. The developers have also significantly reduced XP gained from killing monsters in dungeons, while increasing XP from completing dungeon quests to combat instance spamming and paid boosting services.
The Daily Grind: How are you feeling about WoW Forever’s Skyborne race being stuffed into store bundles?
Blizzard Entertainment has controversially placed the WoW Forever Skyborne race and its associated content behind a $30 minimum bundle purchase, separate from the regular World of Warcraft subscription. This decision has drawn criticism for its aggressive monetization strategy within the MMORPG genre.
MMO Week in Review: Foreverrrrr
BlizzCon 2026 saw major announcements including a new open-world StarCraft shooter, Diablo V for 2029, and World of Warcraft Forever launching soon. The event also revealed World of Warcraft's next retail expansion, The Last Titan, and sparked controversy over World of Warcraft Forever's monetization. Other news included the sunsetting of Ship of Heroes, layoffs at Pantheon Rise of the Fallen, and business dealings involving ArcheAge.
Our World of Warcraft Forever hype is dampened by $30 elves: New Skyborne race locked behind expansion-tier purchase
The upcoming World of Warcraft: The War Within expansion includes the new Skyborne Elf race and its starter zone behind a $30 "Skyborne Hero Pack" purchase, separate from the main expansion cost. This pricing is criticized as being high, comparable to an expansion pack itself, and contrasts with the value offered by other new games and the inclusion of most other content within the standard subscription.
Fans raise a ruckus over the paywalling of World of Warcraft Forever’s Skyborne ‘cash elves’
Players are expressing significant dissatisfaction with World of Warcraft Forever's decision to lock the new Skyborne race behind a paywall, rather than including it with the game or subscription. Multiple bundles are offered, ranging from $30 to $80, with some including WarCraft III: Reforged. This move has sparked debate about value and the precedent it sets for future monetization in MMORPGs.
Between Stars Is A Very Zen Physics Puzzler With No Distractions
Between Stars is a new physics-based puzzle game available on Android that challenges players to use gravity to navigate space and conserve fuel. The game offers a low-stress experience with no time limits or lives, and features a free-to-play model with seven levels available before a single purchase unlocks the full game and future content. The developers emphasize the absence of ads and intrusive mechanics.
GTA 6 Is Going To Be Huge. So Why Is Take-Two’s Stock Having Such A Bad Year?
Despite immense hype for Grand Theft Auto 6, Take-Two Interactive's stock has declined significantly over the past year. Factors contributing to this include investor concerns over AI technology, a high price-to-earnings ratio, and the impact of leaks, which have rattled confidence in the company's control over its flagship product. While analysts remain largely bullish on the stock's long-term potential, citing the expected success of GTA 6 and its online component, the market's short-term reaction has been negative.
NBA 2K27 review: Ball till you fall
NBA 2K27 offers solid basketball gameplay and introduces intriguing features like MyCareer Eras and a co-ed City. However, the experience is significantly hampered by pervasive microtransactions and a sense of déjà vu, making progression feel like a grind or a pay-to-win scenario.
FromSoftware's first experiment with, of all things, horse armor DLC runs awry, as Elden Ring players manage to spawn free duplicate items in multiplayer
FromSoftware and Bandai Namco Entertainment have released a patch for Elden Ring to fix an exploit that allowed players to obtain items from the Tarnished Pack DLC for free in multiplayer. The DLC, which includes cosmetic items for the player's horse Torrent, was criticized for introducing microtransactions into a FromSoftware game.
