The multiplayer of Halo Infinite was released completely unexpectedly on November 15 for free on PC and Xbox. However, players have now found some price hints that they absolutely do not like.
This is the situation:
- On November 15, the free multiplayer of Halo Infinite was released. The campaign will be delivered in December.
- On Steam, the game already has 74% positive reviews with over 41,500 reviews and is thus “mostly positive.”
- However, there are now big discussions about the game’s microtransactions. Allegedly, fans need to pay over $1000 (900 €) if they want to unlock everything.
- Update: Experts say that there seems to be nothing to it (via Twitter.com). This is baseless excitement.
What is the problem? Several posts have appeared on reddit discussing the shop prices of Halo Infinite. During data mining, several skin bundles were found that are allegedly set to be available for purchase at a later time.
Overall, there are said to be 88 items that apparently rotate in the shop. Only a specific selection is said to be available for purchase:
While the skins themselves are not a problem, fans are concerned about the prices and the fact that cosmetics are allegedly not unlockable. Fans claim to have discovered skins in the bundles that were promised to be free, such as the Japanese-themed Yoroi armor.
Whether these are the actual prices remains unclear. However, the uproar is currently huge in the community.
Alleged shop prices cause an uproar
What do the bundles cost? In another thread on reddit, the user samurai1226 calculated that all bundles combined are supposed to cost $1035. That translates to just over 918 euros.
Since the premium currency “Credits” costs the same in euros as it does in dollars, the costs would also amount to just over 1000 € if the prices are accurate. 500 Credits currently cost 4.99 € in the shop. There are discounts for buying more credits at once.
This is how players are reacting: The relevant thread in the Halo subreddit has over 25,000 upvotes. A similar thread in the general gaming subreddit has even over 44,000 upvotes and is one of the currently biggest topics there.
Many fans are perplexed by the approach. Everything must only be unlocked by payments through microtransactions or, in certain cases, through the paid path of the Battle Pass. Players do not understand why they should pay for something instead of playing to ultimately have less from the game.
Especially the individual parts of the armors cause discontent. The user DubZeroSP, for instance, screams: “Commando and Security shoulder plates for $10 each?! Are you kidding me?! 20 fucking dollars for armor parts of a set coming from the Battle Pass?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!”
Are these prices really accurate? The prices were derived by the user from existing shop prices and then estimated, meaning they are estimates and not confirmed prices.
The smallest bundle is currently available for 500 Credits (5 €). The most expensive costs 2000 Credits (20 €). However, all these bundles contain more than one item. Whether the items are actually sold separately, as in the calculation above, is unclear.
Meanwhile, some insiders and experts have weighed in on the topic, such as journalist Paul Tassi. They are discussing this very topic on Twitter and explaining that there is probably nothing to it.
The original data miner is known to rarely be correct, and it has not been confirmed that no cosmetics are unlockable through the campaign. More detailed information is subject to an embargo but could help clarify the matter:
Shops are actually normal for modern shooters
Why is this topic so big with Halo? Almost every modern shooter nowadays has an additional shop with skins. Call of Duty is a popular example here, especially the also free battle royale Warzone.
samurai1226 explains, however, that games like Warzone are standalone shooters. The multiplayer of Halo Infinite is just the separated part of a full-price title. What is more important: Halo fans are really excited about customizing their Spartan (the character).
The battle pass, from which there are additional skins, received significant criticism as well. Players take too long to reach new tiers in the pass, and especially at the beginning, this was only achievable through specific tasks. Meanwhile, leveling up now also works through “normal play,” but still seems to take a long time.
Hardly anyone would mind spending money for a unique appearance. However, just obtaining the appearance from old parts already costs a fortune. And in Halo Infinite, colors and individual armor parts such as shoulders and helmets are adjusted separately, resulting in granular bundles.
We have requested a statement regarding the shop prices after creating the text. As soon as we receive one, we will add it here.
At least the coveted Yoroi armor is supposed to come into the game today, on November 23, through a special event. However, we cannot yet say how much can be unlocked in the event and what else will be available for purchase.
Among streamers, there is definitely a big name at the moment who cannot stay away from Halo Infinite – and he is not even on Twitch:
DrDisrespect defeats Twitch – Is the biggest streamer at the launch of Halo Infinite
