The new MMORPG Elyon will arrive in the western market in 2021, thus coming to us in Europe. As with most MMORPGs that come from Asia, Pay2Win is also up for discussion here. Elyon is already showcasing its entire cash shop and is removing a controversial feature.
The MMORPG Elyon, which started in Korea in 2020, is expected to come to the West this year as well. As is common with many games from Asia, the cash shop for the European version will be adjusted. Particular attention will be given to the “Gears Currency” system, which allows players to purchase tangible upgrades for real money.
This system has now been removed for the western version of Elyon, as confirmed by the publisher. They also want to communicate clearly and transparently with their players. There is already a complete list of all items that can be purchased in Elyon’s cash shop (via playkakaogames.com).
Which feature has been removed? Many smaller aspects of the cash shop have been reworked, but the “Gears Currency” system has been completely removed from the game. With this system, players could purchase special equipment and upgrades with Rubies, the game’s real money currency, which would simply make their character better than that of Free2Play players.
This system will now be completely avoided in the West. All equipment that could be acquired through the system has either been made accessible in other ways or completely removed from the game.
In this video, the developer briefly introduces the cash shop:
How much Pay2Win is still left? The European cash shop of Elyon still offers a variety of quality-of-life improvements in addition to cosmetic items. More inventory slots, less EXP loss upon death, and even pets to assist you in battle will also be available to us.
There is also a type of subscription model that promises various minor improvements for 30 days. It will cost approximately €15 per month.
Furthermore, Elyon is introducing a loyalty system. By participating in various events or being “online” in the game, you will accumulate loyalty. This currency can also be used to shop in the cash shop, but not all items will be available for purchase with loyalty.
The community remains skeptical
How does the community respond to the announcements? The cash shop is always a sensitive topic in an MMORPG, and there is seldom unanimous agreement. However, with Elyon, many parallels can be drawn to Black Desert. After all, it also comes from KakaoGames.
Some believe that these quality-of-life improvements in the cash shop are even worse than actual Pay2Win. Typically, you only buy better armor for real money if you want to compete at the highest level, while more inventory slots are something everyone needs.
As user g1sh writes (via reddit): “I personally dislike the quality-of-life improvements much more than standard Pay2Win. [..] However, I do appreciate that they published this list before the pre-orders start.”
Another user has less positive feedback and writes: “The publisher is intentionally creating problems for which they then want to sell us solutions. If you support that, you should bring out your rainbow wigs because you’re clowns.”
However, there are also positive voices:
- For instance, user egoMuffin writes (via reddit): “Good changes! They’ve removed the toxic Pay2Win aspect. Really good job!”
- User Nova8808 adds: “It looks like a pretty standard monetization for Korean games. There are still a few things I wouldn’t wish for in the game.”
- With a bit more humor, Joe2030 summarizes: “Short version of the announcement: Hey folks, we are now Black Desert Online.”
What do you think of the announcements? Are you skeptical about the cash shop or are you perhaps even more excited for Elyon now? Feel free to leave us a comment.
Of course, you can also improve and strengthen your character outside of the cash shop – we’ll show you how.
