Game developer Crystal Dynamics removed the XP boost from Marvel's Avengers' in-game store following player backlash.
The developer announced the decision in a recent Reddit post, stating that by the end of the day on Nov. 2 they "will remove Hero's Catalysts and Fragment Extractors for purchase." While Hero's Catalysts and Fragment Extractors will still be earnable rewards in the game, and those who have already purchased the boosts will still be able to use them in Marvel's Avengers.
"We apologize for not responding sooner to your concerns about the addition of paid consumables in the Marketplace," the developer said in the statement. "We introduced them as an option for an evolving player base, and did not see them as pay-to-win since they don't offer power directly."
This change comes following player backlash after Crystal Dynamics added a new section to the in-game store for Consumables in the latest update for Marvel's Avengers, which contained a variety of paid experience and resource boosts. These items, which could be purchased with real money, would give players an immediate advantage by increasing the speed at which they gain resources and experience points while playing. The duration of these boosts depended on how much money a player spent; for 100 credits the consumable would last a day, 250 credits ran for three days, and 500 credits provided players a week-long boost. 500 credits, which was the smallest available bundle, cost $5 USD.
This update effectively broke the promise from Crystal Dynamics that the game would only include cosmetic microtransactions. Many users quoted senior community manager Meagan Marie, who stated during Crystal Dynamics' E3 2019 presentation, "Our promise to the community is that we won't have random loot boxes or pay-to-win scenarios."
Users also pointed out that, in March 2021, Crystal Dynamics changed the XP gain in Marvel's Avengers, which prevented players from gaining levels too quickly. "We want people to level up, in fact, we really want to see more people level up more Heroes, as playing the full Avenger roster should be the most fun thing you can do, but we don't want the leveling up experience to be too overwhelming or diminish exploring each skill purchase," the studio said at the time.
"We hope that this can be the first step in rebuilding your confidence in us as a team," the company said in its most recent statement. "It continues to be our goal to make the very best game possible. Thank you for being a part of the Marvel's Avengers community."
Marvel's Avengers is available for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC.
Source: Reddit