Bethesda Accused of Breaking Pledge Over Fallout 76 Microtransactions
After weathering a great many controversies, Bethesda has seemingly gotten back onto a more positive footing of late. After numerous patches, most of Fallout 76’s biggest bugs are a thing of the past, and the new Wild Appalachia content has proven popular. However, the studio reignited fan outrage today with the announcement of Repair Kits; a new item which players can buy using Fallout 76 microtransactions.
Players Can Buy New Repair Kits With Fallout 76 Microtransactions
Repair Kits were detailed recently by Bethesda in a preview article looking at the game’s next upcoming patch. These new utility items are, according to Bethesda, designed to cater directly to players’ requests for such an item. While they cannot be sold, dropped, or given to other players, they do seemingly break a pledge made by the studio prior to release; that all Fallout 76 microtransactions would be cosmetic only.
There will be two versions of Repair Kits when they arrive in the game; Basic and Improved. The Basic versions are single-use and instantly repair any one item in your inventory to 100% condition. Moreover, it does so without using up any of your crafting materials. The Improved Repair Kits work much the same. However, they will buff an item to 150% condition, giving it more durability than normal. However, players should note that only the Basic kits are available to buy using Atoms in the Atomic Store. Both versions can be earned as rewards for in-game challenges, and in the case of Improved Kits, this is the only way to get them. (They will apparently appear in Scorchbeast Queen loot, for example.)
“We read tons of feedback and suggestions from the Fallout 76 community,” says Bethesda; “and Repair Kits were a popular request that we wanted to get into players’ hands. We also felt we could try out something new with these, both in-game and in the Atomic Shop.”
The Problem With the Fallout 76 Repair Kits
The problem with these new kits is that, prior to the game’s launch, Pete Hines said that Atoms could only be spent on cosmetic items. These Repair Kits are a far cry from damage buffs, XP boosts, and other typical pay-to-win mechanics. However, they do provide a tangible in-game benefit, even if it’s a fairly minor one. As such, fans are justified in calling out Bethesda for seemingly breaking that pledge. Fortunately, Bethesda appears to be open to feedback on this very issue; “Repair Kits are our first attempt at a utility item like this,” they explain; “and we plan to make adjustments based on your feedback, so we hope you’ll share your thoughts with us when they go live later this month.”
If enough fans are angry that Bethesda is potentially opening the door to the potential of more serious pay-to-win microtransactions at a later date, the studio may well reverse their decision to make the Basic Kits purchasable with Atoms. After all, Bethesda has seemingly been more than willing to listen to fans in recent months when it comes to addressing the problems of Fallout 76.