No game is safe from microtransactions. Via a post on the Shadow of War forums from a Monolith community specialist, in-game currency, loot boxes and the whole shebang are coming to Middle-earth: Shadow of War when the game launches on Oct. 10.
Called the Market, players will be able to buy loot boxes, war boxes, XP bonuses and bundles. Loot chests will contain weapons, armor and XP boosts to help Talion level up faster. War chests provide Orc followers of varying rarity to add to your growing army. War chests also can contain Training Orders that can be used to level up and customize Orc followers.
Bundles are what they sound like: a collection of everything else. They allow for players to purchase loot chests, war chests and boosts “together at a great value.”
So how do you get the money, called Mirian, to buy these items? Mostly by playing the game. Defeating treasure Orcs and finding Mirian stashes in the world are good places to start. Players will also get Mirian for destroying gear they don’t use. Destroying Orc followers will give players gear as well, which can then be destroyed for more Mirian.
However, because this is a video game in 2017, there’s an extra premium currency called Gold. Gold can be used to buy higher level loot chests, war chests and boosts. To get Gold, players will have to either participate in community challenges or buy it outright through the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store or with funds from your Steam Wallet. Additionally, “small amounts” of Gold will be rewarded for achieving specific in-game milestones. The price for buying Gold will be revealed at a later time.
It was noted in the post that every item in Middle-earth: Shadow of War can be unlocked through play, and nothing will be locked behind a paywall. However, those who do buy Gold will be able to access some items much faster than those who don’t.
So what do you think? Are you bummed to see yet another game adding microtransactions into the mix? Are you glad to see Monolith confirming no items will be locked away from those who don’t buy gold? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War releases for PS4, Xbox One and PC on Oct. 10.
- Nemesis system does an even better job of letting players witness and tell unique, action-driven stories
- Most of the narrative content is just plain boring
