Microtransactions
Ongoing coverage on Microtransactions.
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Marathon players are getting slightly more Lux and actual rewards in the S1 Rewards Pass
Bungie is updating Marathon's Season 1 Rewards Pass to include more desirable rewards and incentives for purchasing in-game currency, Lux. The changes address player feedback regarding the pass's initial lack of exciting content and the perceived poor value of Lux purchases. Future updates in mid-April will also introduce free Arachne-themed skins.
"It's almost as if they're trying to kill off the game": Fortnite faces fan backlash over V-Bucks price increase, while Epic lead argues "paying the bills" helps devs keep "building stuff you love"
Fortnite developer Epic Games is facing fan backlash over an increase in V-Bucks prices and a reduction in the value of the Battle Pass. Senior director Andrea Balta defended the decision, stating it is necessary to "pay the bills" and allow teams to continue developing content. Players have expressed anger and disappointment, with some suggesting the changes are detrimental to the game's longevity.
Subscriptions, Clouds, and Streams
RuneScape has increased its subscription prices after previously removing microtransactions. This move shifts the game's monetization strategy towards a subscription-based model.
Fortnite V-Bucks are getting more expensive
Fortnite's premium currency, V-Bucks, is increasing in price due to inflation. This change will affect players looking to purchase in-game items.
Epic raising the price of Fortnite V-Bucks because $5.7 billion isn’t enough to cover their costs, apparently.
Epic Games is increasing the price of V-Bucks in Fortnite, citing rising operational costs. The changes, effective March 19th, will affect various V-Bucks pack tiers, with some offering fewer V-Bucks for a higher price. The cost of the Battle Pass, Music, LEGO pass, and Fortnite Crew have also been adjusted.
Fortnite, the Biggest Game in the World, Wants You to Help Pay Its Bills
Epic Games is increasing the price of V-Bucks in Fortnite starting March 19, 2026, citing increased operational costs. While the pack prices remain the same, players will receive fewer V-Bucks per purchase. The cost of the Battle Pass will be reduced to 800 V-Bucks, and Fortnite Crew subscriptions will also provide fewer V-Bucks.
Fortnite increases price of V-Bucks currency to ‘help pay the bills’
Epic Games is increasing the cost of Fortnite's V-Bucks currency, with packs, battle passes, and Crew subscriptions yielding less currency for the same price. The company cites increased costs for keeping Fortnite running as the reason for the change, which will take effect on March 19. This move has been met with negative reactions from players who are already dealing with layoffs and dwindling profits at Epic Games.
Fortnite claims that it needs ‘to help pay the bills,’ so V-Bucks prices are going up
Epic Games is increasing the price of V-Bucks in Fortnite, citing rising operational costs for running the game and its platform. The price adjustments will affect various V-Buck bundles, with smaller increases for exact amount packs and a reduction in V-Bucks granted through battle passes and Fortnite Crew subscriptions.
MMO raises subscription prices less than 2 months after ditching microtransactions, causing a RuneScape fan revolt: "Way to show appreciation to your loyal players"
Jagex has increased the subscription prices for the MMO RuneScape less than two months after removing its microtransactions. Current subscribers will see monthly fees rise from $13.99 to $14.99, and yearly subscriptions increase significantly. This decision has led to backlash from the player base, who feel it is a poor way to show appreciation for their loyalty.
It's not a mirage, Crimson Desert's system requirements are here, and don't seem half bad
Pearl Abyss has released the PC system requirements for the upcoming RPG Crimson Desert, launching next week. The game will require 16GB of RAM, Windows 10 or newer, and 150GB of SSD storage. Minimum specs include an AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT or Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 and an AMD Ryzen 5 2600X or Intel i5-8500 for 1080p at 30 FPS, while ultra settings for 4K at 60 FPS demand higher-end hardware. The article also notes the absence of microtransactions.
Epic says "the cost of running Fortnite has gone up," so it's increasing V-Buck prices
Epic Games is increasing the price of V-Bucks currency bundles in Fortnite, citing rising operational costs for the game. This change means players will receive fewer V-Bucks for the same price.
Epic Games claims the cost of running games 'has gone up a lot' as it hikes V-buck prices
Epic Games is increasing the price of V-Bucks in Fortnite starting March 19, citing rising operational costs. Standard packs will offer fewer V-Bucks for the same price, and the Battle Pass and other in-game purchases will also see reduced V-Bucks rewards. This change has been met with player dissatisfaction.
RuneScape's monthly membership now costs as much as a World of Warcraft subscription as Jagex announces its second…
RuneScape developer Jagex has announced a second price increase for its monthly membership, raising it from $13.99 to $14.99 per month and annual memberships from $99.48 to $131.88 per year. This change makes RuneScape's monthly subscription cost on par with World of Warcraft's in the US, and more expensive in some European regions. Jagex claims the increase will support an ambitious development roadmap, though players have expressed significant dissatisfaction with the perceived decrease in value.
Epic Games increasing the price of V-Bucks to 'help pay the bills'
Epic Games is increasing the price of V-Bucks, the in-game currency for Fortnite, citing rising operational costs. The price adjustments, effective March 19, will result in players receiving fewer V-Bucks for the same amount of money, though the cost of the Battle Pass and other passes is decreasing. Epic Games also highlighted its Epic Rewards program and the revenue generated through user-created content microtransactions.
Epic Games needs Fortnite players to "help pay the bills" as the multi-billion-dollar company raises V-Bucks prices while making Battle Passes and Crew way worse in value
Epic Games is increasing the price of V-Bucks and reducing the value of Battle Passes and other in-game purchases for Fortnite, citing rising operational costs. Despite the company's high valuation, players will see reduced V-Bucks amounts in packs and subscriptions, with Battle Passes offering less overall value.
Fortnite to raise V-Buck prices later this month "to help pay the bills" after Epic Games generated over $6 billion last year
Epic Games is increasing the price of V-Bucks in Fortnite starting March 19th, citing the need to "pay the bills" despite generating over $6 billion last year. This change will result in players receiving fewer V-Bucks for their money across various pack sizes. To mitigate disappointment, Epic is offering a 20 percent cashback on premium currency purchases made through the Epic Games Store.
Epic Hikes Fortnite V-Bucks Prices "to Help Pay the Bills"
Epic Games is increasing the price of V-Bucks bundles in Fortnite starting March 19th, citing rising operational costs. While V-Bucks will cost more, the price of the Battle Pass will decrease. Fortnite Crew memberships will also provide fewer V-Bucks.
Fortnite's V-Bucks are about to get more expensive because 'the cost of running Fortnite has gone up a…
Epic Games is increasing the price of V-Bucks in Fortnite due to rising operational costs. While V-Bucks will become more expensive, the cost of in-game passes such as the Battle Pass, OG Pass, Music Pass, and Lego Pass will be reduced.
4 Key Ways Fortnite Purchases Are About To Cost More Money
Epic Games is increasing the price of Fortnite V-Bucks starting March 19, 2024. The changes involve reducing the amount of V-Bucks received per pack, increasing the cost of the "Exact Amount" top-up feature, and decreasing the V-Bucks earned back from the battle pass and Fortnite Crew subscription.
Epic are hiking Fortnite V-Buck prices to “pay the bills”, because those server farms don't run on peanuts
Epic Games is increasing the price of Fortnite's V-bucks currency, citing rising operational costs for server farms. The price hikes will affect both fixed amount packs and smaller purchases, while the Battle Pass will also offer fewer V-bucks upon completion. Epic is also introducing an Epic Rewards system offering 20% back on purchases made through their payment system.
