Microtransactions News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

Dragon's Dogma 2 fans have been sharing some of the things that they think the first game did better than the sequel, such as all items being able to stack to 999 and Pawns more closely following your commands.

After the early access launch trailer, Moon Studios has now released the PC system requirements for the action RPG No Rest for the Wicked. There's a very big difference between minimum and recommended, to say the least.

70% of developers questioned in a new survey expressed some concern about the sustainability of the live service model.

Tekken 8 players are repeating Tekken history by struggling to fight against Eddy Gordo, a character notorious for his fast-paced movement.

Tekken 8's latest update has been met with a wave of negative user reviews, bringing its overall Steam rating down to "mixed". Most of these negative reviews criticise the battle pass, which was added to the game in the latest patch.

Shift Up CEO has confirmed free updates and a new game plus mode will be coming to Stellar Blade.

Dragon's Dogma 2 players are pretty polarized by the RPG's romance system, and as a result, they just want to get with the Pawns.

Stellar Blade is only a few weeks away, which means developer Shift Up has started doing its best to convince people why they need to play it. Its excellent demo is definitely helping the team achieve that goal, but director Kim Hyung Tae has been doing the rounds to provide more enticing details about Stellar Blade, and they're not just about Eve's figure.

In a recent interview with Ruliweb translated by Genji and confirmed by IGN, director Kim Hyeong-tae talked about what players can expect on launch day. One feature Stellar Blade fans shouldn't expect is microtransactions... at least not initially.

Revenue from PC games rose by almost four per cent during 2023.

CD Projekt RED has essentially committed to none of its future single player games featuring microtransactions as the Polish developer states it doesn't «see a place for microtransactions in the case of single player games». The studio's CFO Piotr Nielubowicz said as such in an investor's chat via StockWatch.pl, but the micro-purchases are something the team could explore for online experiences: «We do not rule out that we will use this solution in the future in the case of multiplayer projects.»

We’ve learned what games will come to Xbox Game Pass over the first half of this April, and leading the batch is Lego 2K Drive, a Lego racing game that’s a solid alternative to the Forza Horizon games that are also available on Microsoft’s subscription service.

CD Projekt Red's chief operating officer Piotr Nielubowicz has said that the studio's single-player games may never have microtransactions, but its inclusion in multiplayer projects hasn't been ruled out.

During CD Projekt RED's annual earnings call, The Witcher 4 (codenamed Polaris) came up several times, albeit as no surprise. New Joint CEO Michał Nowakowski told investors (and any fans that might be listening, of course) that they can expect The Witcher 4 to go beyond simply retreading the massive success of the third installment thanks to the addition of new gameplay features and mechanics.

Dragon's Dogma 2 launched around ten days ago, earning a favorable reception from critics (I gave it an 8/10 in my review) but not equally enthusiastic from fans, especially on Steam. That was largely due to the microtransactions and technical performance, but there are other minor issues that PC users can easily fix with the help of mods.

CD Projekt Red, the studio behind The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077, apparently has no intentions of implementing microtransactions in its single-player games.

Following CD Projekt RED's recent quarterly report, where we learned that The Witcher 4 (Polaris) is still in pre-production, a couple of executives were invited by the Polish financial site StockWatch to answer a few questions.

Tekken 8 is getting a change to its storefront, introducing a new "fight pass" feature. This works the same as a battle pass in other games, with a premium tier charging players an extra fee for exclusive, more sought-after items.

A senior CD Projekt Red official has gone on record to state that the studio doesn't believe microtransactions have a place in single-player games. And while that move effectively reiterated the company's long-standing stance on game monetization, CD Projekt Red isn't entirely ruling out the possibility of implementing microtransactions in the future.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is currently the game everyone online seems to be playing. Clips of open world insanity proliferate on social media platforms as players get to grips with Capcom's latest genre-defining romp, which was partly to be expected. What took players by surprise, however, was the swathe of seemingly sinister microtransactions that were made available as soon as the single-player, $70 RPG went live, as well as rough technical performance on both PS5 and PC.

Months after its initial release, Bandai Namco seems hellbent on squeezing as much money as it possibly can from Tekken 8. Not only does the game have seasonal DLC passes — the first is set to offer four additional characters, starting with Eddy next week — but it recently added a microtransaction store, where you can exchange premium currency for cosmetic items.

CD Projekt Red's chief financial officer, Piotr Nielubowicz, has said that the company doesn't "see a place" for microtransactions in its single-player games.

Microtransactions have become an unavoidable reality in games in the modern context, especially with game development budgets continuing to balloon to ridiculous degrees, but even so, seeing in-game monetization in single-player experiences never quite sits right with the vast majority. We had a very recent example of that with Dragon’s Dogma 2, a game that, despite widespread acclaim, still drew plenty of backlash for its post-launch inclusion of microtransactions. Not all players in the industry see the value in such a strategy, however.

There are a lot of upcoming CD Projekt Red games, and if you're worried that the studio might change its ways and go all-in on microtransactions in a fit of capitalism, don't worry. The studio says it doesn't see a place for microtransactions in single-player games - only multiplayer titles.

Dragon's Dogma 2's first post-launch patch is here, letting console players cap the game's performance to 30fps. This comes after many complained that the unrestricted framerate was harming the performance, causing the game to noticeably slow down in busy areas.

Capcom has released the first title update for Dragon’s Dogma 2, adding some crucial features to the game.

Dragon's Dogma 2 DLC might be in the works at Capcom, as the publisher has asked players what they would theoretically pay for new content.

Plenty of big, AAA releases have problems at launch. Overwatch 2, Payday 3, and Redfall all launched to criticism from both reviewers and fans. It's far rarer to see a AAA game's community genuinely divided over whether or not a game is fantastic and groundbreaking, or an utter disaster at launch. But weirdly, that's what's happening with Dragon's Dogma 2.

The anticipated revival of , a stylish 5v5 MOBA, is near, and with it comes an entirely new and sneaky assassin DPS hero named Kajir, a cat who has stolen more than nine lives. stands out with its fast, rewarding gameplay and colorful cast of characters, all with unique playstyles. Each of the other 23 playable characters will need to watch their backs for the stealthy Kajir.

Dragon's Dogma 2 has been out and in players' hands for almost a week now, and it's fair to say that although it launched to incredibly positive critic reviews, certain elements haven't been received fantastically by the fanbase. The action-RPG was immediately hit with backlash for its microtransactions, and plenty of people have been left frustrated by the deadly Dragonsplague mechanic, too. 

Dragon's Dogma 2 players aren't impressed by the enemy variety in the RPG and feel let down by the promises its developer made before release.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is finally here, and while many are enjoying the experience, there have been some complaints, leading to a bit of a mini-backlash against the game. One of the issues that’s brought up in a lot of negative reviews on Steam and elsewhere are microtransactions tied to items that provide quality-of-life features like being able to re-edit your character, place warp makers, and more. Now, most of these things can be earned via regular play in-game, but getting them is just difficult enough that some may be enticed to pay real money for them. Here’s the list of the items you can buy with real money or earn in game (there are also a couple of music and sound collections that can only be purchased with real money).

Capcom has released a list of fixes and updates it will make to Dragon’s Dogma 2 “in the near future” — including the much-requested option to start a new game when save data already exists.

Capcom has confirmed that a range of improvements will be made to Dragon's Dogma 2 in upcoming patches, including the ability to start a new game. This comes as players quickly found that Dragon's Dogma 2 doesn't have the option to delete your current campaign, making it impossible to start another without manually removing save files from your console or PC.

Your Dragon's Dogma 2 companions will expose your misdeeds if you choose to spend time in the RPG's brothels. 

Just days after Dragon’s Dogma 2 launched amid a controversy over its microtransactions, modders have worked their magic, making much of what publisher Capcom is selling day-one available for free.

Dragon's Dogma 2's pawns have received some changes, making them more useful than ever. But one of these changes doesn't really seem to have any practical use outside of messing around as, for some reason, the devs taught them how to play catch.

Creators who have shared their involvement with Dragon's Dogma 2 are getting bombarded with replies complaining about the game's microtransactions. This comes as the highly anticipated sequel is hit with a wave of negative user reviews, with complaints centring around the fact that in-game items are being sold at a premium.

Dragon’s Dogma 2, by all accounts a sensational RPG, is getting obliterated for adding microtransactions on launch day. These, we must stress, were unavailable to purchase during the review period but were mentioned in a media guide; they’ve since been made available for sale on the release’s launch day. Already it’s prompted a cavalcade of negativity on Steam, where the otherwise critically acclaimed escapade carries a ‘Mostly Negative’ review rating.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is bringing even super-mighty PCs to their knees, and Capcom seemingly disabled the option for some performance-boosting DLSS frame generation just before launch. Now a modder has brought that option back, and in doing so, revealed why Capcom disabled it in the first place.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 launched today, and while it had a warm critical reception, players are having a lot of problems with its PC port in particular. Currently, it has an overwhelmingly negative user score on Steam, with over 13,000 reviews as of the writing. Capcom has addressed common criticism of the game in the hopes of quelling the frustration of PC players.

Capcom’s fantasy role-playing game Dragon’s Dogma 2 has launched at last to critical acclaim — but reactions from some players are much harsher. At the center of these complaints is a suite of 21 downloadable items Capcom released without warning alongside Dragon’s Dogma 2 across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. Most of them are single-use in-game items enabling features like new fast-travel locations, the ability to change characters’ appearance, and combat revives.

Dragon's Dogma 2 fans were creating their pawns before the game even launched, thanks to a free character creator demo. Now, the full game lets you narrow down the search to find a pawn that's right for you - with some interesting criteria for players to choose from.

Having received glowing reviews from the press, Dragon’s Dogma 2 has been hammered by Steam users who got their hands on the game overnight. The reaction has been so bad to elements including game performance, the use of Denuvo copy protection and inclusion of microtransactions that Capcom has issued a hasty statement of apology and explanation.

Capcom has responded to Dragon's Dogma 2 players complaining about performance issues on PC, and the game's microtransaction purchases.

Getting around the massive map of Capcom’s RPG sequel can feel like a chore if you’re not in the mood to walk everywhere. Fortunately, there are a couple of ways to fast travel in Dragon’s Dogma 2.

Capcom has responded to disgruntled Dragon’s Dogma 2 PC players, and addressed the backlash to the game’s controversial microtransactions and performance problems that have resulted in a 'mixed' user review rating on Valve's platform.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 has enjoyed a huge day-one on PC, but it has also sparked a vociferous debate about microtransactions.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is Capcom's biggest-ever single-player game launch on Steam, but players aren't taking kindly to performance issues and microtransactions. 

Dragon's Dogma 2 is finally here, and Capcom has been enjoying quite a lot of praise from both critics and fans in the run-up to launch. Unfortunately, it now seems to have thrown all of that hard-earned goodwill down the drain, as Dragon's Dogma 2 has launched to "Mostly Negative" user reviews on Steam after Capcom has seemingly added a series of "pay-to-win" microtransactions after the game's reviews were published.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink will take a PS5, PS4 patch today that bundles a new late-game quest into the RPG, and makes some microtransactions available on the PS Store. On the Proud difficulty option, a new quest titled The Final Vision will allow you to battle Lucilius alongside Supreme Primarch Sandalphon. This updates the game to version 1.1.0, with two more content drops planned for April and May that will add more playable characters.

Final Fantasy 14's Xbox versions include microtransactions not found in the PC or PS5 versions of the MMO.

The Xbox Series X|S version of Final Fantasy14 will require players to have an Xbox Game Pass subscription.

RuneScape's original creator is sailing to new horizons with his upcoming MMO Brighter Shores, which is "opposed to the onslaught of microtransactions" seen in modern games.

23 years after RuneScape classic, its creator is back with a relaxing MMORPG said to have anti-grind gameplay and "hours upon hours" of free content. 

The Helldivers 2 Cutting Edge battle pass has been revealed, bringing a fresh batch of three new armours, and a trio of new energy weapons when it launches next week on 14th March.

The Helldivers 2 Cutting Edge battle pass has been revealed, bringing a fresh batch of three new armours, and a trio of new energy weapons when it launches next week on 14th March.

When we interviewed Korean developer Shift Up recently, it emphasised the point that Stellar Blade’s selection of 30 costumes would all be included in-game at launch, with no microtransactions or additional purchases necessary. However, speaking with Game Informer, director Hyung-Tae Kim has hinted more outfits could be added post-release.

A new update for Tekken 8 has dropped, bringing cosmetic DLC to the title via an in-game store. In truth, we think it's a bit cheeky of Bandai Namco to add something like this when all of the reviews have long been posted, but it's worth noting that Tekken 8 does have full character customisation and a range of alternate costumes by default. Still, it's a tad underhanded.

Destiny 2 is getting hoverboards! And they're free! Yep, in a bid to try and drum up some excitement for the shooter's upcoming seasonal stuff, Bungie has revealed that hoverboards — or 'skimmers', a new form of transportation — will be made available to all players. Although if you want additional boards, you'll obviously have to buy them through the game's microtransaction shop. Who saw that one coming?

Tekken 8's upcoming Tekken Shop will include both paid and free content, Bandai Namco has confirmed, with the premium stuff using a currency called (creatively) Tekken Coins. The Tekken Shop will be refreshed monthly, and the developer insists the move is more about keeping the competitive fighter fresh with customisation items than for grubby monetary reasons. Still, there's no reason why it can't be both.

Moon Studios – the developer behind beloved Metroidvania games Ori and the Blind Forest and Will of the Wisps – is gearing up to launch its next game, action-RPG No Rest for the Wicked, into early access. Ahead of that, its director has clarified that there'll be no microtransactions included in the upcoming title at all, and definitely no expensive skins to buy for horses.

Remember Temtem? Four years before ‘Pokémon with guns’ game Palworld exploded onto the scene, massively multiplayer creature-collection adventure Temtem came out alongside similar comparisons. Now, its developer has issued an open letter to players signaling the end of support and teased what’s next.

After Tekken 8 players criticized the game's post-launch microtransaction plans, the series' creative director has explained why modern games are in dire need of new funds if they're to be supported after launch.

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is the return of the vibrant multiplayer game that's taken some time off to make kaiju-sized upgrades. The 5v5 MOBA hero shooter first launched in 2017, and despite scoring rave reviews, it shut down a year later. With the help of a new developer and Gearbox Publishing, is making a big return with a new coat of paint and a reasonable price point thatprovides a lot for what some games charge for a single-character skin.

Blizzard is a company notorious for inflicting microtransactions on its player base, a hell Diablo 4 players have been enduring for a while now. But the company's latest overpriced aesthetic offering goes so far beyond the pale that we can't help but admire its outright brazen nature. For just $30, the asking price of many better games, you could own the Dark Pathways pack, which changes the colour of a player's portal.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's player count is falling on Steam, going as low as 916 earlier this week. This comes exactly two weeks since its all-time peak of 13,459 players online at once, whereas the game now averages a player count of around 2,000, regularly dipping below 1,000.

Tekken 8 has proven a smash hit with fans, selling millions of copies in its first week and delighting users on social media thanks to the game's in-depth customization options. Players can gather free in-game currency for just about everything that they do, and use it to purchase cosmetics such as outfits, accessories, hairstyles, and much more. However, it appears as though this might not be the only way to obtain cosmetics in the near future.

Hot on the heels of a backlash against Diablo 4 portal reskins that cost the same as Palworld comes a new microtransaction horror: a horse bundle that costs more than Diablo 4 itself.

Diablo 4’s troubled history with microtransactions has grown more grim after Blizzard began selling class-locked portal reskins.

Over the years, we have seen some truly bizarre microtransactions and DLC add-ons, especially ever since the advent of the live-service genre. Almost every publisher is guilty of overpricing skins or cosmetics, with Capcom, Square Enix, and Electronic Arts all having fairly recent controversies surrounding cosmetic prices in the past 12 months. Activision Blizzard is considered by gamers as the king of overpriced cosmetics though, as it has displayed once again with Diablo 4.

It’s healthy to be skeptical when you see microtransactions in games. Many titles cross the line from fair to exploitative, all but forcing players to throw in money that could buy another full game (or more) to actually have a good time. So when initial reports surfaced about Helldivers 2’s microtransactions, people were wary. At first glance, the now-popular live-service shooter utilizes some familiar strategies. There are both free and premium battle passes that feature items that can affect gameplay and a number of currencies to parse out. Plus, there wasn’t a roadmap released at launch, so it was tough to gauge how horrible any microtransactions could be.

Helldivers 2 has been praised for avoiding the tedious and intrusive microtransactions common among live-service shooters, so it's perhaps no coincidence that the game's creative director, Johan Pilestedt, reckons games "have to earn the right to monetize," which is why developer Arrowhead "really applied ourselves to not make it pay-to-win."

Blizzard is charging $30 for portal colors in Diablo 4, and players are having none of it.

The boss of Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has discussed the game’s microtransactions, insisting the game is not ‘pay-to-win.’

Today’s Escape from Tarkovupdate hasn’t gone down well with fans. Among the large list of alterations, the recoil of a number of weapons has been changed, and it’s also been confirmed that certain microtransactions are on the way, too. 

Helldivers 2 has been a hit since it dropped on PC and PlayStation 5 last week. Perhaps more surprisingly, its monetisation is even receiving some praise, as many players are relieved to see it show some restraint, at least compared to other live services.

Helldivers 2 creative director and Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt believes games should «earn the right to monetise», adding that whilst players are welcome to «support this title» by buying microtransactions, Arrowhead is «never forcing anyone to do so».

The video game industry is one that has been built on trends. If a game reaches escape velocity and becomes a big hit, it’s inevitable that others will be lining up to get a slice of that turkey. This has had some unfortunate consequences.