MIDDLE EARTH: SHADOW OF WAR Will Begin Permanently Removing Microtransactions With May Update
As microtransactions continue to be a heavily criticized element of gaming, WB Games are finally removing microtransactions from Shadow of War, a process which will begin with an update set to arrive this May.
It wasn’t too long ago that EA finally revamped the progression system for Star Wars: Battlefront II after removing microtransactions from the game. Now, Monolith and WB Games are poised to do something similar with Middle Earth: Shadow of War.
While the game based off of Tolkien’s works wasn’t nearly as lambasted for its microtransactions as Battlefront II, the game was still on the receiving end for a lot of criticism over this element. But on May 8th, the game’s developers will be working to rectify this decision with an update that will prevent players from purchasing gold with real-world money. Of course, players will be able to spend and receive in-game gold until the market is permanently shutdown in July.
In an announcement from WB Games, the decision to remove the system is described as a move to keep to the promise of the game’s highly praised Nemesis System:
“The core promise of the Nemesis System is the ability to build relationships with your personal allies and enemies in a dynamic open world. While purchasing Orcs in the Market is more immediate and provides additional player options, we have come to realize that providing this choice risked undermining the heart of our game, the Nemesis System. It allows you to miss out on the awesome player stories you would have otherwise created, and it compromises those same stories even if you don’t buy anything. Simply being aware that they are available for purchase reduces the immersion in the world and takes away from the challenge of building your personal army and your fortresses. In order to fully restore the core promise of the Nemesis System, we’ll be permanently removing Gold, War Chests and the Market from Shadow of War. This means the option to purchase Gold with real-world money and the ability to gain Orc Followers from War Chests will be removed.”
Along with the removal of microtransactions, further updates for the game will bring changes to the Shadow Wars portion of the game, which includes the addition of "a number of improvements to the presentation, along with new narrative elements to provide a more cohesive experience."
These set of changes will be coming just in time for the release of the Desolation of Mordor expansion, which is also currently set to be released next month.