"Gears of War 4" has recently received a few new updates that further promoted its emphasis on microtransactions. While the developers at The Coalition have promised that these microtransactions are merely for cosmetic bonuses, it now appears that the system is getting out of control.
The game uses a card-based reward system. Each new card pack can unlock character boosts, skins, and weapons. These can be purchased with credits earned simply by playing the game or by buying them with real money. However, a report from Screen Rant reveals that not all of them are just for looks.
According to the report, A lot of them actually do give advantages when competing in multiplayer matches such as the new Horde 3.0 update. This new update allows players to gain new skills and re-build their character using the game's cards, essentially creating a pay-to-win scenario.
It gets worse, especially now that The Coalition released three new card packs that are all quite expensive. All of these card packs can be utilized by those who spend real money to fully equip their characters with the best load out. In turn, they gain an unfair advantage in multiplayer.
Screen Rant points out that this may not have been a problem if "Gears of War 4" was a free-to-play video game, but it's not. The game costs $60 just for the standard edition, and the special editions can cost up to $100. This would mean that players who already spent full price on the game would need to pay even more just to compete with others.
The report further points out that grinding for credits is meaningless. This is because each multiplayer match lasts over 10 minutes, and the amount of credits earned is so minimal to the point that they lose their impact. A $10 card pack can be purchased with 3,500 credits, but each match only awards around 75 credits. To earn enough credits to buy the $10 pack, players would need to invest roughly 12 hours of playing the game or more.
It is uncertain if the game will see any changes to address the imbalance with its microtransactions or if this will become the norm for "Gears of War 4."
