Fans of the Call of Duty series have voiced their frustrations towards Activision recently, criticizing the company for promoting a new in-game bundle at a time when player counts for Black Ops 6 and Warzone are witnessing a noticeable decline.
The situation is further exacerbated by the high cost of additional purchases within Black Ops 6. Players are confronted with a base game priced at $70, alongside options such as a $10 Battle Pass and a $30 BlackCell every season purely for cosmetic upgrades. This financial burden is compounded by a recent Squid Game-themed event, which added a $10 Event Pass for further cosmetic content.
Players have calculated that the total value of all available store bundles in the game amounts to approximately 108,100 CoD Points, translating to around $800 in real-world currency. This has fueled backlash among the community, who are increasingly weary of microtransactions.
Call of Duty Community Critiques Developers Over Microtransaction Focus
The only way to stay on top is fight ⚔️The Squid Game 2: The VIPs Tracer Pack is now available in the Call of Duty store. pic.twitter.com/osLhbtPwyc
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) January 8, 2025
In reaction to the newly released Squid Game Tracer Pack trailer, gaming analyst CharlieIntel remarked that, “Call of Duty is reaching new lows on Steam, slowly falling in player count on PS5 and Xbox, and ranked play is dominated by hackers that can take down servers. Yet here they are tweeting about a new licensed bundle.”
Echoing this sentiment, prominent Warzone streamer Swagg urged the developers to “read the room”regarding the community’s concerns.
Critics emphasize that promoting new content while significant issues like cheating persist only alienates the player base. Streamers like Swagg and former professional player Scump have announced their decisions to step back from streaming due to ongoing challenges within the game.
Even some of the game’s most dedicated defenders are beginning to rethink their support. Former pro player Octane expressed his discontent, stating, “The audacity to promote bundles when your game is a cascading failure of cheating and stonewalling from devs.”His sentiment reflects a broader frustration among players.
The situation indicates that player patience is waning, and marketing initiatives like this could further tarnish an already struggling public image.
Leave a Reply