Bethesda Addresses Pay-to-Win Criticism of New Fallout 76 Repair Kits
Earlier this month, Bethesda came under fire from fans over the announcement of Fallout 76 Repair Kits. The reason for the criticism was that many fans felt that the items were introducing pay-to-win mechanics to the game. Earlier today, Bethesda launched Patch 8.5, and the Repair Kits are now available in-game. Responding to the concerns, the studio included a statement about the kits in the new update’s patch notes.
The Fallout 76 Repair Kits and Bethesda’s Response to Fan Concern
Fallout 76 Repair Kits are a new type of single-use consumable item. There are two types; Basic Repair Kits and Improved Repair Kits. You can use a basic kit to restore a single item to 100% condition without expending any of your crafting materials. The improved kits can buff an item to 150% condition, but otherwise function the same. Because the kit is available to purchase in the Atomic Shop, some fans have accused Bethesda of breaking their pledge not to include anything but cosmetic microtransactions.
However, there are some important factors to keep in mind. Firstly, only the basic kit is available in the Atomic Shop; improved kits can only be acquired in-game, and they are very rare. Players can also acquire basic kits in-game, without needing to pay Atoms. Additionally, neither type of kit can be traded, crafted, dropped, or sold. According to Bethesda, the studio doesn’t feel that basic kits really constitute “pay-to-win” mechanics. In a statement included in the latest patch notes, they explain their thinking. They also state that they will make changes if the kits do prove to offer a tangible competitive advantage.
Bethesda’s Statement on Fallout 76 Repair Kits
“When we originally announced the Atomic Shop last year,” they state; “we said that it will not provide anything that offers a competitive advantage. We remain committed to that statement and take it into account when we evaluate every new item that we bring to the Shop, both now and in the future. While Repair Kits do offer a way to fix an item in the field, we feel you will find that they are a convenient option you can utilise during your adventures. If we find that Repair Kits do offer any sort of competitive advantage once they are available, we will make any changes necessary to ensure that advantage is removed.”
Hopefully for fans, the kits don’t prove to be problematic. Certainly, fixing an item seems like a fairly minor advantage at best; it’s a far cry from a direct damage or health buff, for example. Both kinds of kits are available in-game as of today, so fans can try them out for themselves.