Microtransactions are the bane of modern AAA gaming- I think we can all agree that once we are paying $60, or full price, for a game, we should not be expected to pay more money to get additional content piecemeal, especially when we also have to pay for DLC. It just sucks.
So the question of whether or not an upcoming major release will have microtransactions is always a pertinent one- but for Titanfall 2, it doesn’t sound like the game will have any, at least not at launch. Speaking to PlayStation Lifestyle, Respawn’s Joel Emslie said that the focus right now is simply on ensuring the day one package is as feature complete and content rich as possible.
“Certainly, our focus has been day 1, in the box, cramming as much as we can possibly get in there so that people are really feeling like they got the value of their money — like they got their money’s worth,” Emslie said.
That said, he also conceded that microtransactions may happen in the future- this is something that Respawn have apparently not yet made a call on.
“It’s not decided on yet. We’re still…. here’s also an element of ‘Let’s release the game. Let’s wa–‘ We’re working on DLC. But we still have a curiosity to see like, what type of DLC do we really focus on, rather than just chucking out some stuff that we think [players] might want,” he said.
The good news is, if microtransactions do happen, they will not be for game modes and maps- as with the first Titanfall game, modes and maps will be offered to the player for free.
“We do not want to divide our player base,” he said. “We need to make sure everybody’s on the same playing field and has access to the same maps and game modes.”
Let’s just hope that whatever they do offer as microtransactions – if they offer anything at all – is purely cosmetic, and nothing that can wreck game balance.