Players Concerned as Black Ops 6 Reintroduces “Pay-to-Win” Gobblegums

The highly anticipated Gobblegums are making a comeback in Black Ops 6 Zombies; however, players are understandably disheartened to discover that these items will once again be tied to “pay-to-win” strategies.

In Black Ops 6, round-based Zombies return, featuring two expansive maps—Terminus and Liberty Falls—available from launch day. Treyarch is revitalizing the core essence of the mode by reintroducing several beloved features from past entries.

Among these features are Gobblegums, which serve as one-time-use in-game Perks. Although first introduced in BO3, many players cherished their benefits during gameplay, yet the requirement of real money for acquisition led to widespread backlash.

When the revival of Gobblegums was first discussed, it seemed as though players could earn these perks by simply surviving rounds, alleviating pay-to-win concerns. Unfortunately, a blog update prior to the game’s launch revealed that they can also be unlocked “through gameplay and survival in Zombies or via Store purchases.”

This development means that Gobblegums will operate similarly to how they functioned in BO3, but the reintroduction of the purchase system has sparked significant criticism. Following the announcement by our partner site CharlieIntel, players took to social media, voicing their displeasure with Activision’s decision.

Breaking: Activision confirms – GobbleGums will be available for purchase in Black Ops 6’s in-game store alongside earning them by playing Zombies. pic.twitter.com/Lq7NVyvZ5F

— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) October 17, 2024

“I can’t believe I’ll have to shell out 20 bucks for a skin pack that features Woods in a goofy ghillie suit with a cosmic gas AK just to access Perkaholic,” lamented one frustrated gamer.

“The game isn’t even released yet, and it’s already pay-to-win,” declared another user.

Similar sentiments emerged when CoD streamer ModernWarzone shared their opinion on the topic, expressing concern over the potential difficulty in earning top-tier Gobblegums, which might subtly push players towards making purchases.

“That’s concerning. Claiming you can earn them by playing is straightforward, but what does that actually mean?” questioned one commenter. “How challenging will it be to obtain them, and how excessively rare will the most exclusive Gobblegums be?”

While it’s confirmed that Gobblegums will be offered randomly “every few rounds,” each comes with a specific rarity, and the exact drop rates are still unknown. With certain items like Near Death Experience and Perkaholic designated as “Ultra” gums, it remains uncertain how frequently they will be obtained without financial expenditure.

Additionally, it’s yet to be revealed if players will have the option to purchase particular Gobblegums from the store or if they will come as random offers like before.

All questions will be addressed on October 25 when Black Ops 6 launches globally, but for those eager to get a head start, there’s a method to play early using the New Zealand trick.

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