The MMORPG ArcheAge Unchained will soon release its next addon “Garden of the Gods”. A blog post has now announced that the DLC will be paid. This bothers some players who had different expectations of the premium MMORPG.
In June, ArcheAge Unchained will receive a bunch of new content. The expansion “Garden of the Gods” is intended to provide players primarily with new endgame content. The packs cost between $15.99 and $59.99
What is the problem? It is completely normal for MMORPGs to charge for large updates and addons. Major premium MMORPGs like WoW, Final Fantasy XIV, or ESO do the same.
In the case of ArcheAge Unchained, however, it is noticeable that only Western players of the Unchained version have to pay for “Garden of the Gods.”
The update is free for all Korean versions as well as for players of the free-to-play version of ArcheAge.
Furthermore, the developers of ArcheAge Unchained have repeatedly emphasized in the past that players only needed to pay once to enjoy all content of Unchained. This also applied to future updates, as the Head of Development Mervin Lee Kwai said in an interview (via MMOHuts.com)
Price for DLC is necessary from the developers’ perspective
What do the developers say? In an email to players, the ArcheAge Unchained team commented on the decision to make the DLC paid despite the promise.
One player published the email in the official forums (via ArcheAgeGame.com), which states:
We understand the concerns about the price of the expansion ArcheAge: Garden of the Gods. It has become increasingly difficult for us to deliver new content for the Unchained version while remaining true to our “fair-to-play” pillar. […]
Several approaches were discussed within the team, and we decided to charge a small fee for major upcoming updates instead of selling items that could potentially influence gameplay progression.
The abolition of pay-to-win was a significant goal of ArcheAge Unchained, which is now to be supported by the paid addons.
The developers also state in the email that they are aware of players’ opinions on the matter. They are also aware that they are breaking one of their earlier promises.
However, the decision is intended to ensure that ArcheAge Unchained remains fair and does not receive content that allows players to buy advantages.
What do the players say? On reddit and in the official forums, the decision to make the Garden of the Gods paid is being discussed by players. The majority of players who express themselves are upset that they still have to pay for updates despite promises.
In a thread in the official forums, there is even a call for a boycott of ArcheAge Unchained (via. ArcheAgeGame.com).
However, there are not enough voices to speak of a major backlash. Therefore, it is difficult to say how the majority of players received this news.
If you want to try ArcheAge Unchained, you can do so for free this weekend.
