Sadly, that’s exactly what happened and despite both DICE and EA trying to justify the new Star Card system, the high cost of hero unlocks and much more, the economy for Star Wars Battlefront 2 crumbled in a number of ways. The fact that it was so blatantly pay-to-win in a competitive multiplayer setting while offering a convoluted system of scrapping and crafting was also pretty terrible.

"There are variety of reasons why games like Battlefield and Call of Duty continue to sell despite growing microtransaction concerns. There’s also a reason why Overwatch, despite concerns for loot boxes, continues to rake in the cash."

However, upon looking at the entire disaster, one has to wonder why certain games that implement microtransactions are doing so much better. Why do some games like Digital Extremes’ Warframe continue to do so well despite allowing you to purchase entire Frames and weapons, or even essential functions like Weapon Slots and Frame Slots? Heck, for all the hoopla surrounding cosmetics, Warframe also locks different colour palettes, Deluxe Frames and special skins behind microtransactions. Even if the entire experience is free-to-play, most new players would probably have a much better time by spending some money on Platinum to start with.

Grinding Gear Games’ Path of Exile is slightly different. All of its loot has to be earned in-game. There’s no way to pay wholesale for weapons and even resetting your character is something that’s only possible through copious amounts of grinding (or, well, making a new character). For the cosmetics and stash tabs, you need to pay up. Did we mention those cosmetics are locked behind RNG loot boxes whose prices would make Jeff Kaplan and his team at Blizzard blush? I can’t speak for the odds of getting different pieces since the cosmetic pool isn’t as saturated but it’s not weird to see long-time players spend tens, if not hundreds of dollars, to look good. New cosmetics are constantly being released as well.

For that matter, why are games-as-a-service titles still in such demand despite so much controversy? Halo 5: Guardians was a massive success and Halo Infinite will also seemingly have microtransactions (but not “real money loot boxes”). Tom Clancy’s The Division bounced back extremely well despite a disappointing few months post-launch and some lop-sided updates. Even if The Division 2 has been criticized for including stash slots as part of costlier editions, there’s not nearly as much controversy as EA’s debacle.

There are variety of reasons why games like Battlefield and Call of Duty continue to sell despite growing microtransaction concerns. There’s also a reason why Overwatch, despite concerns for loot boxes, continues to rake in the cash. Grand Theft Auto 5 is the biggest-selling title of all time and even that has Grand Theft Auto Online with its heavy grind and “pay to skip” Shark Cards. So what gives? What do so many games do right that’s seemingly so difficult in this age of microtransactions and post-launch monetization? The answer probably lays in “good will”.

"This approach isn’t too new – titles like Warframe also allow you to earn Platinum in-game even if the process relies completely on trading and grinding out certain “popular” items."

Let’s take a look at Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, a recent controversial example. Odyssey features an enormous single-player campaign that – like Origins – has an in-game store with cosmetics and weapons to purchase. However, it’s possible to purchase “time saver” items like a permanent 50 percent XP booster or smaller boosters that can make the experience “better”. “Better” in what sense?

Well, Odyssey’s campaign missions can be level-gated, requiring you to grind out side missions and bounty board requests to level up. Given how much difference a level or two can make up, it’s always best to be at a level equivalent to your foes. One of the major complaints, however, is that the XP gains have been tuned in such a way as to push a player towards using a booster (which Ubisoft has denied).

Furthermore, for those who want to just experience the story in Odyssey and not have their journey interrupted by mundane side content, having to do any kind of grinding feels boring. This doesn’t alter the fact that some people’s mileage of the side content will vary. Many abhor the “go here, get this, kill enemies” style of quest design while others found more nuanced quests with strong writing and characters to enjoy. So while this may feel like a “grind” to some players, others will see a familiar style of role-playing progression. The latter will feel like Ubisoft is purposely pushing them out into the open world to explore and play the content and that’s just fine because it’s what they signed up. The various points-of-interest and objectives may seem fairly cookie-cutter but there were no illusions that the game would work this way.

From a grinding perspective, it’s possible to earn Orichalcum, which can be spent on random loot boxes that have a chance to drop cosmetics from the store. These can be earned from daily and weekly quests while also providing an in-game currency for some of the better weapons and armour. So over time, it’s possible to purchase many of the cosmetics and items without spending any real money. This approach isn’t too new – titles like Warframe also allow you to earn Platinum in-game even if the process relies completely on trading and grinding out certain “popular” items.

"Rather than thinking of this as Ubisoft slowly introducing microtransactions into its series, pushing the boundaries of what it can get away with, it’s important to understand their bigger picture (or the idea of it, at least)"

The idea is the same though – the items that can be purchased with premium currency aren’t things that players need from the outset. You don’t “need” every Legendary item in Odyssey’s store any more than you need to purchase every item in Warframe’s store from the outset of the game. Just as it’s possible to unlock different Frames (and better them) through in-game means, so is it possible to earn different weapons and loot in Odyssey by progressing through the game. If these unlocks are then placed in the game for longer-term investment players, then the real question is: Why?

It’s no mystery that Ubisoft wants to pursue a games-as-a-service model for numerous titles. There’s a vision for larger scale titles that allow for traversing multiple eras in the next Assassin’s Creed, which would mean less entries and stronger post-launch support for the games in question. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey will apparently not be followed by a sequel in 2019 as Ubisoft focuses more on post-launch support.

This can be seen in the post-launch “Lost Tales of Greece” that are being made free to fill the gap between bigger paid expansions such as Legacy of the First Blade and The Fate of Atlantis. In-game events tasking players with hunting down tough enemies every week are also coming (if not available already). Also, I have no doubt that the in-game store will be updated with new items that will be more easily accessed by players who have more time and thus Orichalcum earned in-game.

Rather than thinking of this as Ubisoft slowly introducing microtransactions into its series, pushing the boundaries of what it can get away with, it’s important to understand their bigger picture (or the idea of it, at least). Assassin’s Creed Odyssey isn’t just a vehicle to get you to pay extra cash. It’s a massive, sprawling game that wants to offer as much value in its core package as possible. It wants to offer a grand spanning story with interesting characters and compelling combat to keep different types of players coming back for more.

"The concepts themselves like Warframe’s Plains of Eidolon or Path of Exile’s Delve League may not be incredibly polished out of the gate but their ambition and innate potential are appealing."

The free content, updates and support are just a means to earn more “good will” from players in the hopes that they’ll spend more money. Maybe not spend immediately – because as noted in many counter-arguments, the side content can be fun for some players to “grind” through – but maybe after 100 to 200 hours of game time. Maybe when a player wants to start from the beginning and re-experience it all over again with a different build, thinking to skip the grind like they would do in an MMO.

This “science of good will” may seem ludicrous at first but it’s not strange. Some companies and their shareholders aren’t just looking for direct revenue right away. Instead, recurring player counts – both on a daily and monthly basis – are incredibly important. Free-to-play titles like Warframe and Path of Exile dole out amazing concepts every year and we’re always impressed with the amount of content offered for free. However, it’s by fostering good will with the player base – one that’s in it for the long haul – that both games earn their money.

The concepts themselves like Warframe’s Plains of Eidolon or Path of Exile’s Delve League may not be incredibly polished out of the gate but their ambition and innate potential are appealing. Long-term support and numerous updates, even if they’re just cosmetics and new items, further keep players hooked. In the end, it’s all free and the hardcore player that invests hours upon hours into a game like Warframe may have no need for Platinum. But for the average player, that sense of investment and wanting to “reward” the developer for having and continuing to get so much out of a free experience is what the goal ultimately is.

Yes, there are plenty of ways to “push” players to spend their premium currency (or to spend real money to immediately obtain more). A brand-spanking new Frame has been released? Better lock the parts behind some annoying drop rates (the construction of which, by the way, can be sped up using Platinum). A new weapon has dropped? Well it’s exclusive to those with Clan access and who’ve built the required labs. Don’t have a clan? You could always purchase them directly. The list goes on.

"Keep in mind that the “science” of good will isn’t just about games with microtransactions. Numerous different titles across several segments of the industry are looking at making their games more appealing by fostering good will, even if microtransactions aren’t the road to this."

Even if Ubisoft didn’t muck about with the XP gains, the long-term investment strategy for Odyssey is hard to deny. It wants players to keep coming back, offering a meaty base game with strong support and constant updates alongside free content to reward those who stay on. You could criticize Ubisoft for the random bounty board quest, “bloated” map with quest markers galore or loot grind but it wants you to play all of that content over a long, long period of time. And hopefully, if you appreciate it enough and feel invested enough, you’ll want to spend some more money. Perhaps with the Season Pass or through some Helix Credit bundles.

Unlike Digital Extremes and Grinding Gear Games, the onus is on Ubisoft to provide a worthwhile experience at all times. If it’s DLC isn’t up to snuff or the free updates don’t keep players engaged, that hurts the company’s bottom line and could thus influence how future monetization is handled. It doesn’t have the benefit of being free like Warframe or Path of Exile either. If someone feels that their time has been wasted after the initial $60 entry point, there’s a risk of them swearing off the current and future product.

Keep in mind that the “science” of good will isn’t just about games with microtransactions. Numerous different titles across several segments of the industry are looking at making their games more appealing by fostering good will, even if microtransactions aren’t the road to this. Take the example of Moonlighter. Recently, Digital Sun added New Game Plus mode to the Zelda-meets-shopkeeper action RPG along with a higher rarity tier of weapons and armour, a new item type and much more. Since the game’s launch, other updates have brought new room compositions, challenges and so on. With Halloween coming up, there will also be an “event” of sorts for players to earn items.

How can that be, especially if Moonlighter is a crowd-funded title from a relatively small studio? By delivering a strong base experience, Digital Sun could look to appeal to its established player base with free updates. And every time a new update goes live, Moonlighter goes on sale (at least on Steam), enticing more players to hop on board. The fact that the entry point isn’t all that high to begin with doesn’t hurt either.

"Firaxis did something similar with XCOM 2: War of the Chosen. It recently released the Tactical Legacy Pack, a free content pack that was only available for those who owned the base game and War of the Chosen."

Another interesting strategy is free DLC but for a timed period. The trend was recently highlighted by A Hat in Time’s Seal the Deal DLC. Seal the Deal added a new chapter, a new difficulty mode and other snazzy additions, all for the price of nothing. However, it was free only for owners of the base game and that too for 24 hours. Fortunately, the game went on sale in that same period, allowing first-time players to successfully jump into the game and enjoy the free content. You could say it’s a weird strategy to force people to buy the game…or you could interpret it as a developer both rewarding its loyal fans and trying to attract newcomers.

Firaxis did something similar with XCOM 2: War of the Chosen. It recently released the Tactical Legacy Pack, a free content pack that was only available for those who owned the base game and War of the Chosen. In terms of content, players can expect five Legacy Ops, a series of consecutively linked missions that explore events taking place between the first and second game; 28 new maps remastered from Enemy Unknown/Within; returning armour from Enemy Unknown along with “reimagined” weapons; Skirmish Mode for creating custom missions; Resistance Archives for battling in a series of missions with increasing difficulty; a photo mode of sorts; and over 100 challenges from War of the Chosen that can be played offline repeatedly.

That sounds like a whole smattering of content, right? And it’s free! Of course, you need to own XCOM 2 and War of the Chosen. Even if you didn’t take advantage of the ongoing sale to purchase either the base game, the expansion or both alongside the Reinforcement Pack (which itself offers three DLC drops for the “complete” XCOM 2 experience), then there’s not much reason to worry. The Tactical Legacy Pack will remain free until December, providing enough time for players to decide if they want to hop onboard – and maybe take advantage of other sales that might crop up along the way.

If you think about it even further, it makes sense why Firaxis is going this route. Good will with the developer wasn’t looking so good following launch troubles with XCOM 2. Even after a number of issues were resolved, players still took issue with the pricing and content of Reinforcement Pack. War of the Chosen could be looked upon as the first step in rebuilding that good will with the Tactical Legacy Pack only furthering it.

"Coming back to microtransactions and free content updates: For clarification’s sake, I’m not saying that this is necessarily what the developers themselves want."

Not only does it reward players who have been loyal to the game but also offers tons of nostalgia and compelling features for those loyal to the brand for all these years. It’s the little things but they help. For all the negativity I’m talking about XCOM 2 facing after its launch, the game was still lauded and loved by its fans. Capitalizing on that kind of brand loyalty and using it to draw in new players is an exceptional strategy, to say the least. However, you still need to pay money to be a part of this process so Firaxis benefits as well.

Of course, how can we forget other means of building good will among players? How many games like The Elder Scrolls Online, Halo 5: Guardians, Halo Wars 1 and 2, Overwatch, and so on offer free to play weekends for newcomers? They place all their content on the table for players to try for as long as they’d like with discounts and progress transferring over if you permanently want the full experience. Electronic Arts, for all the bad publicity they drum up for themselves, have created one of the biggest value propositions out there with Origin Access that offers a number of titles from EA and various third party developers for unlimited play every month at just $4.99 per month. Even if you hate the company, being able to play games like RIME, Titanfall 2, Burnout Paradise Remastered, Gonner, Torchlight 2, Jotun, The Sexy Brutale, The Witness, Pillars of Eternity, Inside and much more per month for that price is pretty crazy in retrospect.

Coming back to microtransactions and free content updates: For clarification’s sake, I’m not saying that this is necessarily what the developers themselves want. I don’t know the terms of agreement when it comes to these kinds of titles, whether certain updates are mandated to sell more units through sales or not. I’m also not saying that every single developer would appreciate putting microtransactions into their full-priced single-player game or that publishers don’t have a hand in pushing these kinds of decisions for the sake of more profit.

All I’m trying to offer is a perspective as to why these tactics may be done. Because, for all intents and purposes, developers and publishers are both companies at the end of the day. Both want to and need to make money, whether it’s to recoup costs, fund future ventures, invest in new technology or simply expand. The line between what is acceptable and unacceptable, at least when it pertains to players and their preferences, is becoming thinner as bigger triple-A games get made.

"How convenient is it then that Destiny 2, which faced a year of scrutiny and terrible DLC along with an initially heavy-handed Eververse store, has regained a lot of its good will thanks to content like Whisper of the Worm, Solstice of Heroes and Forsaken."

Still, if you ever need to look back at why certain introductions of microtransactions seem to “take” better than others, then good will may be the answer. Destiny fans were fairly angry about emotes being sold before The Taken King, whether as part of a Collector’s Edition or in a separate package. At the time, good will for the franchise was pretty much on the brink. When The Taken King launched and effectively revitalized the player base, it was met with applause. So much so that many didn’t mind the introduction of a micro-transaction store in Eververse for cosmetic items including emotes being sold separately.

Bungie further did its good will bit by ensuring that subsequent events for Destiny like Festival of the Lost, Sparrow Racing League and the April 2016 Update (which again sparked only a bit of controversy for the fact that armour sets were now being included in Eververse) were competently delivered. Even when the studio’s reputation took a hit for going too far with microtransactions in Festival of the Lost 2016, it still earned it back with The Dawning. How convenient is it then that Destiny 2, which faced a year of scrutiny and terrible DLC along with an initially heavy-handed Eververse store, has regained a lot of its good will thanks to content like Whisper of the Worm, Solstice of Heroes and Forsaken.

In fact, not many fans seem to be all that troubled that the purchase of DLC like Curse of Osiris and Warmind, which were required to play the most recent expansion, has recently been made free with the purchase of Forsaken. Or that this change was done in order to facilitate more players, particularly those who received Destiny 2 for free on PS4 with their PlayStation Plus subscription, just in time for the Festival of the Lost 2018 which introduces even more new content and Eververse items.

Let’s not forget that, as per Kotaku’s Jason Schreier, the decision to put so much content in the Eververse store and drip-feed a lot of other stuff to players was made by Bungie and approved by Activision. Not the other way around. It really makes you think about which developers are being “strong-armed” into such tactics and which ones aren’t. But I digress.

"Anyone who hates the idea of microtransactions in the first place can’t be blamed for not putting down $60 for a title they may or may not even like all that much."

For me, the implementation of microtransactions varies from game to game. It’s honestly never affected my experience in a game like Grand Theft Auto Online. That being said, microtransactions are something that are dealt with, directly or indirectly, in Warframe. Trading items for Platinum to unlock things that I don’t want to bother grinding for is one thing. Wanting to skip the grind for some items, picking up new slots and obtaining dope cosmetics by paying real money for Platinum is another thing, which I have done by the way. This was after putting in 200 hours into the game, being satisfied with my experience and wanting to play even more.

Those who aren’t necessarily satisfied with their experience in a game like Overwatch, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, Destiny 2 or Assassin’s Creed Odyssey might find the microtransactions to be annoying. And no, this isn’t just taking into account their impact on the game. When playing Assassin’s Creed Origins, no amount of content – whether it was free or discounted – could make me enjoy the side missions, the style of open world gameplay or the combat. None of those aspect were bad – I just couldn’t get into the game. Would I like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey more, even if it weren’t saddled with microtransactions that hope to capitalize on “good will” that Ubisoft earns from delivering a better product? It comes down to enjoying the game at that point. Anyone who hates the idea of microtransactions in the first place can’t be blamed for not putting down $60 for a title they may or may not even like all that much.

In the meantime, as recent examples above indicates, there are plenty of games that garner good will without stuffing their packages with microtransactions (whatever purpose they may serve). Larian’s Divinity: Original Sin 2 is still a great game, for example. It recently received free DLC in the form of Sir Lora (a squirrel knight companion with an undead cat steed) along with numerous changes courtesy in the Definitive Edition. Arkane Studios’ games have provided meaty single-player experiences like Dishonored 2 and Prey. They’ve even received good expansions like Death of the Outsider and Mooncrash respectively. Don’t even get me started on Radical Fish’s CrossCode which is simply stellar in almost everything it does (which is an article for another day).

The debate around microtransactions in video games will go on, as it rightfully should, and whether you’re against publishers asking for more cash, or supportive of an experience that offers several months of gameplay, a little good will can sometimes go a long way. Many developers already know this. Now the question is how their audiences – in this case, you, me and the other person – choose to respond.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Firaxis’s turn based alien repelling strategy masterpiece XCOM 2 just received a GOTY style rerelease on PC platforms with the XCOM 2 Collection on PC, Mac and Linux. The collection bundles together the base XCOM 2 game, War of the Chosen Expansion and the 4 DLC packs for a cool $50, and console players will get to enjoy the same deal very soon according to the developer.

Revealing the bundle on Firaxis’s official Twitter just last night, the studio announced the release of the computer version, the $50 price, which is half of what the pieces of the collection used to cost when purchased separately, and that the collection would come to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One “soon”.

XCOM 2 was received very positively at launch, and the expansions only further cemented that over time. The base game sits with an 88% on Metacritic and the now included expansion War of the Chosen earned a high 94%. Whenever Firaxis introduces a true sequel to XCOM 2, there’s a fair chance that they might take inspiration of some degree from Nintendo Switch hit, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.

The XCOM 2 Collection is now available for PC, Mac, and Linux. Coming soon to #PS4 and #XboxOne.

Good luck, Commander.

➜ https://t.co/l6pDWOxmeY pic.twitter.com/Y4ffpmZ6k2

— Firaxis Games (@FiraxisGames) February 1, 2018

Nominees:

Horizon: Zero Dawn – The Frozen Wilds

Aloy’s adventure through the grand post-apocalyptic world of Horizon: Zero Dawn was full of beautiful landscapes, intense mystery and awkward sessions of arrow-flinging at rampaging robot animals. The Frozen Wilds delivers much of the same action, adding new intense beasts that are even more vicious, new weapons and gear, a heaping helping of side quests and a new story. This also takes place across the new northern wild lands area which looks downright incredible. While The Frozen Wilds won’t answer every single question you might have from the base game, it’s still a fun romp through a gorgeous open world that’s well worth the 10 or so hours it takes to beat everything.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Champion’s Ballad

Is the Champion’s Ballad the big story expansion that Breath of the Wild fans were hoping for? No, but it does offer a ton of new content with brief plot points calling back to the fabled Champions, new shrines, new bosses and even a sweet new motorcycle. Of course, there are other end-game challenges like having a weapon that one hit kills enemies but being susceptible to one hit kills yourself. It’s an invigorating challenge and a reason to dump several more hours into the large open world of Hyrule…even if there are still a bunch of mysteries to solve.

Dota 2: Dueling Fates

Valve Corporation has had a phenomenal year with Dota 2. The International saw its biggest prize pool in history with over $24 million in prizes. The game itself played host to a number of updates like the co-op campaign Siltbreaker but Dueling Fates is the one that deserves the most spotlight. It added two new heroes to the mix with Pangolier and Dark Willow and completely changed how MMR works for both ranked and unranked play (with ranked seasons now lasting six months). New hero guides have been implemented to help players find the build that suits them best. Then there’s Turbo Mode, a lightning fast, Arcade-like mode where Gold and XP flow more freely, respawn times are lowered and the action is quicker. In terms of just making the game more fun, Dota 2’s Dueling Fates is a great addition to the base game.

Warframe: Plains of Eidolon

It was the biggest update yet for Digital Extremes’ Warframe but also it’s most ambitious. After years of tight corridors and static objectives on each map, Warframe was going open world. The initial launch was a lot less ideal than many would have liked with economy issues, glitches, weird design choices and much more. However, the developer has refined the Plains of Eidolon to make its new Bounty System more rewarding and the overall quality of life more engaging. All that aside, the basic tenets of the Plains, from mining and fishing to battling enormous Eidolons, were still tons of fun. Gara may need a little more balancing and Focus 2.5 is only now getting the system on track but Plains of Eidolon is a worthy addition to one of the best free to play games yet.

Path of Exile: Fall of Oriath

Over the years, many games like Warframe and Dota 2 have been held as sterling examples of free to play gaming. However, nearly everyone seems to agree that Path of Exile is at the very top and perhaps the best Diablo-style action RPG currently available. In 2017, this was cemented further as the developer introduced Fall of Oriath. It added six new story acts with new locations and enemies, new gems and weapons, and the new Pantheon system for additional player powers. The fact that Grinding Gear Games added even more with War of the Atlas, significantly revamping the end-game maps system, goes to show how great Path of Exile is to its community.

Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City

Ashes of Ariandel wasn’t the best DLC for Dark Souls 3, especially with all the focus on PvP. The Ringed City made up for that immensely by introducing new lands to explore (including the ominous city in its name), new weapons and armour, and of course, new enemies to battle. The DLC also brought us several awesome boss fights. In fact, Darkeater Midr and Slave Knight Gael remain two of the best and most difficult boss battles in the game yet. The grim fantasy of Dark Souls 3 has always enticed us and The Ringed City leveraged that for an unforgettable last romp into misery.

Darkest Dungeon: The Crimson Court

If the level of depravity in Dark Souls isn’t enough for you, then Darkest Dungeon will satisfy that itch. This year saw The Crimson Court come into being with a new dungeon, a brand new faction of grotesque nightmares to fight, five new bosses,10 new buildings for upgrades and trinket sets for heroes offering their own set bonuses. Who are the Ancestors exactly? What is this new faction? How many more heroes will you send to die? The Crimson Court rekindled all of those burning questions for us.

Grim Dawn: Ashes of Malmouth

This seemed to be the year of “Diablo-like action RPGs that deliver way more value than Diablo”. Grim Dawn’s Ashes of Malmouth introduced its own version of the Necromancer but threw in the long-ranged, spell-wielding Inquisitor as well. This brought the game’s Masteries up significantly but we also received an increased level cap, two new story chapters spread across huge new areas, four new factions, hundreds of new items and much more. That’s only scratching the surface though and it’s crazy that Crate Entertainment offers so much for such a low price.

XCOM 2: War of the Chosen

Firaxis Games’ XCOM 2 was one of the best games of last year but War of the Chosen makes it even better. It adds the Chosen, three new enemies that can interfere in your battles, and three new factions complete with hero classes to fight them. Players will also have new environments to explore complete with new mission types, enemies, and new orders for fighting against the Chosen. You can even have certain soldiers bond to activate new abilities, add modifiers for more challenging missions or partake in community challenges for a chance at the leaderboards.

Final Fantasy 14: Stormblood

Continuing its epic saga, Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn got even bigger with Stormblood which added huge new lands to explore, two new jobs, a number of battle system changes, and two new raids, one of them taking players back to Ivalice. Of course, you also have a new level cap to grind towards, new story missions and adventures, new gear and a number of exploration options like swimming and diving. Despite a bumpy launch, Final Fantasy 14: Stormblood continues the MMO’s claim as one of the best of all time.

Winner: Path of Exile – Fall of Oriath

Grinding Gear Games has been a fairly humble developer. When Path of Exile first arrived in 2013, it was lauded for its action RPG focus, insane customization options and the freedom to play how you wanted. Furthermore, it was completely free with only cosmetic options requiring payment. These were only really for those who wanted to support the game. Then, of course, Fall of Oriath came.

Fall of Oriath isn’t just a mere expansion to the game which added new areas, enemies and bosses. It was a new path forward for what was already a stellar game, refining how one plays the it while adding a ton of new content to complete. Issues like de-syncs and lag were also majorly addressed and players had even more reasons to play their favourite action RPG than before. The kicker is that all of this content was completely free, for no extra charge. That’s simply incredible and as a result, Path of Exile: Fall of Oriath is our pick for the best DLC, expansion and content update of 2017.

Note: GamingBolt’s Game of the Year categories, nominations and awards are selected via an internal nomination, voting and debate process. You can check the rest of categories and the respective winners here.

You can also see developers like Firaxis using smaller DLC to introduce significant new feature sets, units and missions to games like XCOM 2 while shipping larger expansions that could be full-fledged sequels like War of the Chosen. Of course, that’s not including the significant updates that have come to games like Path of Exile which added numerous new story acts and will have a ton of new maps for its end-game system by the time you’re reading this.

"To put it more saliently, what makes an expansion “worthwhile” in terms of its content? How does DLC measure up and does it really differ from game to game and audience to audience?"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the fence, we have games like Diablo 3 and its Rise of the Necromancer DLC which drew heavy criticism from fans for offering a single character with some gear sets and cosmetic items for $15. Bungie’s Destiny 2 did a lot worse, amazingly enough, with its Curse of Osiris DLC that locked several Prestige activities and the Heroic Strike playlist behind a paywall while offering very little story content, recycled items from Destiny 1 and a hefty helping of content for its loot boxes. EA bungled its microtransaction approaches with Star Wars Battlefront 2 and Need for Speed Payback despite promising free post-launch content for the former.

It’s not like every triple A developer is getting it wrong. Surprisingly enough, Ubisoft is offering plenty of free content and updates for Assassin’s Creed Origins while maintaining an in-game cash shop and paid DLC. Tom Clancy’s The Division implemented paid cosmetic items and loot boxes but also added a bunch of new features like Global Events, Classified Gear Sets, Commendations and much more. The new Resistance is even meatier, introducing a brand new zone, a new Horde and PvP and sweeping changes to other content to keep it relevant.

In the midst of all this free content and paid DLC, how exactly does one approach a typical expansion any more? To put it more saliently, what makes an expansion “worthwhile” in terms of its content? How does DLC measure up and does it really differ from game to game and audience to audience?

It’s worth explaining what an expansion was referred to as in the old days. Expansions were essentially add-ons to the base game, bringing new areas, weapons, characters, plot-lines and what have you to significantly extend a game’s life. These were often smaller than the base game and required said game to even play. However, a number of expansions would often be stand-alone and not require the base game, presenting a story that stood on its own. You can see some examples like this even in the present day industry with Forza Horizon 2: Fast and Furious.

"However, this solidifies that the “DLC” term is pretty fluid and can refer to a number of different things. One reason DLC garnered such a bad reputation is in the value proposition it provides players."

You could also add games like inFamous: First Light, Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy to the list though those are more like full games. They introduce brand new mechanics, stories and directions that are fairly different from their base experiences. It’s a hard line to differentiate but it presents a strong clue for the direction of expansions these days.

Now let’s look at DLC. DLC can include a number of things, from a few cosmetic additions and weapons to new side quests, difficulty options, New Game+, modes, raids, story missions, multiplayer maps and so on and so forth. The common theme of downloadable content seems to be that it’s not all the sizeable or large. But then you have DLC like Dying Light’s upcoming Bad Blood which adds a brand new PvP mode to the game, encouraging players to compete against each other, gathering loot and forming alliances before breaking them to eventually secure a set for extraction. Techland calls it an “expansion” which may not be too far off.

However, this solidifies that the “DLC” term is pretty fluid and can refer to a number of different things. One reason DLC garnered such a bad reputation is in the value proposition it provides players. Take one look at the Creation Club for Bethesda’s Fallout 4vand The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and decide for yourself how much value all of that holds. I have yet to see anything that’s worth paying real money for and yes, that includes the Survival mode for Skyrim which can be replicated using a number of user-created mods. Another reason for the ill-will towards DLC is the fact that content is seemingly removed from the main game and sold separately to generate additional profit.

Destiny has been a pretty egregious offender in this department. At first, it seemed like the DLC was hacked off not just to appease the need for additional profits but because the original scope of Destiny was too large for Bungie to put together, especially when it made the decision to start from scratch upon writer Joseph Staten’s departure. From there, it went to a more microtransaction-heavy, live event model that provided bite-sized content updates. We then had an “expansion” in Rise of Iron which was barely worth the $30 on offer and more live events.

"Rainbow Six: Siege is another good example – new maps and modes are free while Operators have to be purchased with in-game currency. If you purchase the Season Pass, you get early access to these Operators and don’t have to spend any currency."

Fast forward to 2017 and Bungie has seemingly again hacked content out of Destiny 2 to resell it as DLC all while locking a number of cosmetic items that could be earned from activities like Strikes, raids and whatnot behind the Eververse microtransaction store. It’s hard to follow all the lines of thought here, especially because Bungie’s idea of “additional content” has been infested with so many different profit-mongering tendrils.

But then you have “content updates” for games like Warframe and Path of Exile. Digital Extremes regularly releases new Warframes, weapons, reworks and other changes for players in the intervals between major updates like the Plains of Eidolon. When it’s not unleashing massive content updates like Fall of Oriath and War for the Atlas, Grinding Gear Games is busy adding new Leagues and items to Path of Exile on top of optional, paid cosmetics that have no bearing on actual gameplay.

Rainbow Six: Siege is another good example – new maps and modes are free while Operators have to be purchased with in-game currency. If you purchase the Season Pass, you get early access to these Operators and don’t have to spend any currency. Shovel Knight is another great example, packing smaller updates like the addition of new enemies like the Battletoads while adding new features like customizing Shovel Knight’s appearance.

When you start to consider major content updates like Warframe’s Plains of Eidolon, Path of Exile’s Fall of Oriath and War for the Atlas, Dota 2’s Duelling Fates, Shovel Knight’s Plague of Shadows and Specter of Torment and so on, it becomes more obvious that the old expansions of yore have basically become today’s free updates. I mean, even Shadowrun: Hong Kong gave away a multi-hour expansion to its main story completely for free. The Division’s update 1.8 could be a significant paid DLC in its own right.

"Is it justified to offer a paucity of content for $20 while locking a number of different things behind it and the cash shop?"

Sure, it’s a smaller scale game – many of the above examples are – but it really says something that some of the most significant and lauded “expansions” to a game are free.

Meanwhile, in the “triple A” space, major expansions are more often being turned into full-fledged games. Firaxis is still rolling on with expansions like War of the Chosen for XCOM 2. Horizon: Zero Dawn’s The Frozen Wilds is significant enough to be deemed an expansion. Destiny 2 will likely have its major “expansion” next year after the Spring 2018 DLC. Otherwise, the industry seems to be leaning more towards expansions becoming actual games. Saints Row IV evolving from a DLC for Saints Row The Third is one such occurrence and there have been numerous others since then.

Is the “expansion” term as we know it dead and gone? Well, not really and that’s more due to MMOs than anything else. World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy 14 offer significant content drops every few months to appease their subscribers before charging money for a full fledged expansion. They both seem to maintain a two year development cycle for each expansion as well but the common theme seems to be that if you pay on a monthly basis, you’ll receive content that will keep you busy on a month to month basis.

There’s still the question of how much “content” is enough to justify the classification of something as an expansion or DLC. Is it justified to offer a paucity of content for $20 while locking a number of different things behind it and the cash shop? Does it make sense for developers to deliver a brand new game but as an add-on to a base experience that will only cost $40? Is the best route really to just offer major content drops for free while offering a completely transparent cash shop that lets players buy what they want, when they want for real money? It does boil down to the size and scale of a game but it also depends on the publishers and developers.

"After all, if the marks keep buying, even when you keep charging them more money, why wouldn’t you go by their standards?"

Some companies seem to treat their games as little more than a service to those who want to drop some cash. That can be both good and bad depending on the company in question. Others want to offer the best content at the best possible price, whether it’s in a full game or a paid expansion or even some DLC, before moving on to the next big thing (and it’s not like the same people behind the main game are all working on the post-launch paid content).

In light of the recent bumbling monetization efforts by a number of companies, you have to wonder about the future of post-launch content for video games. How much of a game will be removed and repackaged for the sake of additional DLC revenue? How far is too far for microtransactions and monetizing every single aspect of a game while making the actual gameplay process for those aspects as “fair” and “accomplished” as possible? The MMOs may have it figured out but you’ll still see instances of blowback against the likes of Guild Wars 2, a free to play MMO that recently added a loot box system on top of having paid expansions and microtransactions.

I suppose that it’s up to the consumer to decide how much value they derive from additional content. After all, if the marks keep buying, even when you keep charging them more money, why wouldn’t you go by their standards? The fact that there’s blowback to that practice at all goes to show that some people just want to support their favourite games and receive some decent content in return rather than being seen as ATMs for quick, hard cash for any dreg of DLC. At present, expansions or significant content updates to a game will continue in some shape or form because there is a market for it. And it’s thankfully not a market that’s completely dictated by today’s “triple A” behemoths.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to GamingBolt as an organiza

One of the big surprises at E3 this year was XCOM 2: War of the Chosen, a brand new upcoming full fledged expansion for last year’s XCOM 2, which launched first on PC, followed shortly afterwards by a PS4 and Xbox One release.

If you have wanted to see more of the expansion, and everything that it brings to the table, in action for yourself, this brand new video for it should help you. It shows off footage from a mission in the expansion, and we get to see some of the new mechanics and content that the game will be getting with the expansion for ourselves.

XCOM 2: War of the Chosen will launch on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on August 31 (no, there is no Switch version of the game yet- it might actually be impossible, given how high end the game is). Make sure to check out the new video for yourself below, and let us know what you think in the comments section.