Pokemon UNITE Accused Of Using Pay-To-Win Microtransactions
Pokemon UNITE has already proven a hit. Very few expected a Pokemon-themed MOBA from Nintendo or the Pokemon Company by the time its announcement came around, but apparently, it’s worked out pretty nicely.
The game would have been a shot in the dark if it weren’t for the incredible power behind the Pokemon name, but it seems to have gone down a treat with fans, building a strong player-base already.
But, the game’s very nature has brought about some controversy, as many feel that the game’s microtransactions are unfair.
Pokemon UNITE Accused Of Selling Wins
Reddit has been awash with upset players after one user, Not_Nathan_Drake, has started a long discussion about whether or not the microtransactions in UNITE are fair. The user is a mobile game developer and assures the members of the NintendoSwitch subreddit that they know what they’re talking about, and accuses the game of using its currencies to give players in-game stat boosts, thus making players more powerful depending on how willing they are to shell out for bonuses.
“You can buy tickets with gems which are then spent on the stat boost items”, the user says at the end of their lengthy statement. “This is called a 3-step currency and is designed to stop people being able to work out the cost of items easily. It’s another tactic and a very common one”.
This suggestion has prompted a lot of chatter in the game’s community, and many players have sounded off their thoughts in the comments.
Fans React To Accusations Of ‘Pay-To-Win’ Microtransactions in Pokemon UNITE
Some fans have responded to this claim, and while some are bothered by the implication that the game has pay-to-win tactics embedded in it, others have leapt to its defence.
“It seems more like if you don’t spend money, you’ll have to play for a longer period of time to hit the same power level”, suggests one commenter. “You won’t hit a wall, it just takes you longer to climb the mountain so-to-speak.” Another commenter replies in disdain “love the people who play mental gymnastics to justify giving their entire monthly budget to a game.”
But, the comments aren’t just people reaching to defend the title, as one user has said “Pay to win mechanics in a MOBA? Neato. That kills the entire game.”
Whether or not Pokemon UNITE puts pay-to-win mechanics at its forefront is still up for debate - but either way, it’s something that could over time endanger the title. Fingers crossed it can iron these features out - otherwise, it could risk seriously peeving its playerbase off.