"We got that one wrong": Darktide devs promise to tighten microtransactions amid player backlash

Warhammer 40k: Darktide launched earlier this week, and despite a broadly positive response to the game itself, players have one big issue - the monetization.

Like many titles with in-game stores, Darktide puts a layer of obfuscation between you and your purchases. You spend your real money on an in-game currency called aquilas, and you then use that currency to actually purchase whatever item you want. Players are miffed that many in-game item bundles are priced just a little offset from the aquilas bundles, too - you can buy 2100 aquilas in one go, but you'll see skin sets priced at 2400, forcing you to buy multiple currency bundles in order to get the item you want.

Community manager Hedge said in a Discord comment (via Rock Paper Shotgun) that developer Fatshark is "hoping [emphasis in original] to add a 'buy what you need' feature, it's just immeasurably complex so isn't gonna happen over night."

As you might imagine, that particular turn of phrase didn't go over well with the community, and "immeasurably complex" has quickly become a meme as part of more substantive criticism of the game's shop.

"We forgot to add one of the bundles," studio co-founder Martin Wahlund tells PC Gamer. "The idea was always to be 1:1. We realized a bit too late that one of the bundles wasn't in. It takes a bit of time to get it approved and stuff like that. But we for sure need to improve that, and we hear people. We got that one wrong, and we need to rectify that to make sure people don't have that friction at all."

There's no word on when the new bundle will arrive. It's worth noting that Fatshark's previous game, Vermintide 2, offered an in-game store that let you just directly purchase whatever item you wanted with real-world currency. Game director Anders de Geer said in that same PC Gamer interview that the switch to the currency model is to make pricing easier across multiple regions.

Part of why the criticism against the microtransactions has been so harsh is that players are finding that Darktide feels incomplete. Features on the main menu say that they're "coming soon", but the cash shop is obviously ready to go. There was also a subtle change to an official FAQ. Previously, it said you'd be able to earn in-game currency just by playing the game - that reference has been removed.

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