Most online games aiming for longevity eventually introduce microtransactions, with the pay-to-win factor often being criticized. The director of Helldivers 2 has now commented on this topic.
Since February 8, you've been able to dive into the fray of the third-person shooter Helldivers 2 alone or with friends. Despite initial difficulties, the game has garnered a passionate player base. However, some have accused the game of following the unpopular pay-to-win model. Now, the game director, Johan Pilestedt, has spoken out in no uncertain terms.
Helldivers 2 Director Tweets About His Opinion On Microtransactions
In less enthusiastic reviews, some players have complained about the alleged pay-to-win model hidden behind the Warbonds, which is Helldiver's version of a battle pass. Now, Pilestedt has addressed the allegations on Twitter/X.
I'm partial but we really applied ourselves to not make it p2w even though items are functionally different. The only item that's p2w is the revolver - which will win you any "cool gun" competition. Only (minor) problem is that it's not that good. https://t.co/c8T8TruLVi
— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) February 11, 2024
He says that they have focused heavily on not bringing any pay-to-win content into the game. The only win you can achieve with a purchased revolver would be in a "cool gun" competition, which is also rather mediocre in terms of gameplay. He then continues in a reply:
"You have to earn the right to monetize" - I truly believe that. If people want to support this title they have an option, but we are never forcing anyone to do so.
With this, he is clearly taking a stance against the accusations that some players made against Helldivers 2.
Taking a closer look at the system behind the Warbonds, it should quickly become clear that it's difficult to label it as pay-to-win. Super Credits, the in-game currency involved, can be used to unlock access to these Warbonds, which otherwise would require some playtime. However, Super Credits can be earned not only with real money but also through gameplay.
The rewards obtained in the Warbond cannot be unlocked using Super Credits. Instead, one must play for a certain amount of time to unlock them, with collected medals. If players have already completed this grind beforehand, they can claim the rewards earlier. In essence, spending money on Super Credits doesn't actually skip anything.
Additionally, unlike in other games where new a new pass replaces old ones, the Warbonds remain available. This means there's no time pressure to complete the battle pass within a set timeframe.
One can certainly criticize certain aspects of the launch of Helldivers 2, such as server problems or MMR bugs. However, the monetization of additional content is not really one of these problems.