Ubisoft, among many other gaming companies, has not had an easy time. The company has previously been hit with a wave of allegations alleging abuse at the top of the company. An executive culture defined by toxicity should probably try to avoid controversy. And it would seem that they have failed once again to avoid problems. This time, they angered fans in another way.
While nowhere near as serious as the abuse allegations, the recent dustup over Far Cry 6 microtransactions is really showing how much gamers are done with the AAA industry.
The industry as a whole has been beset by the plague of predatory monetization for years now. When a company wants to make money in the games industry, they seem to turn to increasingly nasty forms of microtransactions. If it’s not outright gambling in loot boxes, it’s selling crafting items. When a company wants to make even more money from their game, they cry poor and add in cosmetics by the shovel load. Far Cry 6 microtransactions seem to be no better.
Ubisoft games have become increasingly reliant on aggressive monetization to bring in more revenue. Skins and packs of crafting materials have descended on every Ubi franchise over the last few years.
The recent ESRB rating for the game revealed that all versions will include DLC and MTX. This led to fans immediately pointing out elements of the gameplay that were likely to receive aggressive monetization. Here’s a rundown. All of these and more are paraphrased from Reddit threads reacting to the promotion of the game. Players can reskin their horses and pets in-game, making them a prime candidate for cosmetics. Weapon and gear crafting return, prompting fears over ingredient packs. The backpacks seen in promotional footage, though unique, are questioned by players as yet another thing about to get premium skins.
Far Cry 6 features an in-game store available from the main menu and from the pause menu that has items in the following categories:
- Credits – These are the basic currency you spend on all the Far Cry 6 microtransactions
- Cosmetic armor skins – This is the core of the cosmetic system in the game. Armor sets from other Ubisoft games are all over the place in this section. Players can also buy bundles of armor skins.
- Weapon charms – If you want a glittery bauble on your gun, these are for you.
- Guns – Guns and other equipment are a core part of the game in a shooter, and of course Ubisoft is just straight up selling OP weapons.
- Transport – This category is literally just all the in-game vehicles. You could find them in the game in some cases, or buy them directly.
- Utilities – This section is where you will find all the timesavers for hidden items. New songs, base upgrades and more can be bought here.
However, it is worth noting that there doesn’t seem to be an XP booster item or anything truly game-breaking available in the store, at least not yet.
Many of these two examples can be cited as approaches taken by other companies in the past, Oblivion fans all remember the horse armor DLC. Weapon unlocks and crafting bundles have been seen in FPS games going back to the 360 era as well.
Ubisoft has made some major changes to Far Cry 6; for example, Far Cry 6 won’t feature a map editor, but will have DLCs, Co-Op Modes and other content. Whether this is a worthwhile trade is down to the individual consumer. Players are rightfully frustrated by the nightmare that the modern AAA industry represents, so it’s unclear how gamers will react if this new game features too much of this nonsense.
Far Cry 6 releases October 7 on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.