‘Warzone’ criticised for selling “pay to win” operator bundle
Activision Blizzard has been criticised for selling a Call Of Duty: Warzone operator skin bundle that offers in-game advantages for buyers.
The bundle in question is called Bomb Squad, and includes a “Boom Proof” blueprint for the Sakin MG38 LMG and the EOD Specialist skin for Fender, an operator in Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone.
However, the bundle goes beyond offering new cosmetic options for buyers, as it offers players a fourth operator slot and other in-game benefits (via PC Gamer) .
The bundle’s Sakin blueprint has an effect that brings the weapon’s insurance time down to just 15 minutes in Warzone‘s DMZ mode — meaning that if players lose the gun while it’s insured, it will be returned to them much faster than a regular weapon.
Additionally, Fender’s EOD Specialist skin gives the operator a Medium Backpack every time they go into a DMZ raid, an item that other players need to locate in-raid to use.
The bundle has sparked backlash within the Call Of Duty community, with players accusing Activision of selling “pay to win” microtransactions.
“This is wrong & completely tone deaf,” said content creator Westie, who said Activision was “hurting the integrity of the game with these additions”.
On my stream, I didn’t fully realise the impact of this. The Medium Bag is there every time you use the Operator skin, so you don’t have to go find one. The blueprint being on a much shorter cool-down gives you a big advantage over other players who maybe don’t have all Insured…
— Westie (@MrProWestie) April 12, 2023
“Activision shouldn’t add pay to win items in the game,” added Warzone Mobile News.
“Get ready for even more mobile gaming monetisation tactics,” commented one Reddit user.
Season 3 of Warzone launched on Wednesday (April 12) and along with the new cosmetics, it also brought a new Gulag map and Perk Packs that allow players to grab perks outside of using Loadout Drops.
The newest season also re-introduced sniper rifles capable of killing players in one hit, and brought Ashika Island’s Redeploy Drones to Al Mazrah.
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Andy Brown
NME
