Zenimax introduces a new pet, the Bristleneck War Boar, to the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online (PC, PS4, Xbox One). This pet introduces a useful function: it expands your inventory. This leads to discussions in the community.
What does the Bristleneck War Boar bring? The pig is a pet that accompanies you on your adventures if you wish. Not only does it look very interesting, but it also offers you an advantage. Because it expands your inventory when you buy it. You get an additional five slots – this applies to all characters on the account.
The Bristleneck War Boar is specifically designed to have visible bags on it. Essentially, it is a pack animal in pig form.
A pig leads to discussions
How much does the pig cost? You can buy the boar in the ESO Crown Store for 1,200 Crowns.
1,500 Crowns cost €12.99. ESO subscribers receive 1,650 Crowns monthly – they buy such pets from this stock.
How are players reacting to it? The introduction of the Bristleneck Boar is currently leading to controversial discussions.
The pig does not need to be active for players to receive the additional inventory slots.
Is this already a Pay2Win element? There are differing opinions on this.
Why do some think it’s Pay2Win? When a game sells advantages, this is always problematic for some. Where do you draw the line? Is it already Pay2Win if players can buy expanded inventory space, or is it just something that serves convenience?
Often the criticism comes from the fact that players fear this could just be the first step. Zenimax could be testing how far players are willing to spend money for useful items. Some ESO players fear that the expansion of inventory is just the first step and more advantages will follow.
ESO_Merciless mentions on Reddit: “Is it really a complicated thought to believe that this pet could be a test for Pay2Win items? It costs only 1,200 Crowns and brings only five slots. If players say that, it surely sounds like music to the ears of every company.”
Not Pay2Win?
What do players who do not see it as Pay2Win think? ESO has been experimenting for a while with items that have a real benefit: including the crafting bag. So it’s not like the boar is the first item offering certain advantages for money.
In the official ESO forum, RogueShark explains it well: “My biggest problem is with the same people who never express criticism about the crafting bag or the increased bank space from ESO+. That provides much more inventory and much more comfort… but it’s this pet with five slots that goes too far. What? You can’t commend one and criticize the other without looking silly.”
Generally, players also question whether “5 additional inventory slots” are a significant advantage. They do not understand the excitement.
What’s your take? Is the Bristleneck Boar already a step towards Pay2Win, or are some players overreacting when considering the existence of ESO+ and crafting bags?
