Pokémon Unite Limits Lootbox Progression Using Microtransactions

[banglabhai420]

Pokémon Unite players will have to make additional in-game purchases if they want to exceed a weekly limit on the amount of earned Energy, the game's lootbox progression system. The online battle arena game is the Pokémon franchise's latest development amid its 25th anniversary celebration.

The free-to-play MOBA is different than popular Pokémon games like Pokémon Sword & Shield. Rather than tasking players with exploring different regions as Pokémon trainers, Pokémon Unite pits two teams of five Pokémon against each other. Players must defeat wild Pokémon and opposing team members in order to collect Aeos energy, which is then carried to the opponent's goal zone to score points. The team with the most points wins. These battles yield storable energy, which is organized in lootbox-ilke Energy Tanks carrying 100 energy each. Players can eventually use their energy to pull on the Energy Rewards system, the game's gacha mechanic, which provides items like clothing and Aeos coins.

Redditor WightKitt recently posted about their experiences playing Pokémon Unite, and broke down how the game limits the pace at which players can accumulate energy and the maximum amount they can have. They explained that players can earn a maximum of 1,400 energy (14 energy Tanks) each week by finishing battles. It is possible to surpass this weekly cap with in-game purchases. Players can buy additional Energy Tanks with gems, which means they need to use real-world money in order to continue earning up to another 14 Energy Tanks for the remainder of the week. WightKitt also pointed out that the Energy Rewards system frequently yields Aeos coins (referred to as "gold" in their post), which can be used to purchase Pokémon, helpful power-up items, and more. As a result, the more energy a player has to exchange for Energy Rewards pulls, the more advantages they have in battles. The redditor's post shed light on the gameplay's strong use of monetization strategies, and how its set-up potentially punishes players who don't wish to take part in Pokémon Unite's in-game purchases.

Pokémon Unite received criticism before players began to uncover the extent of its monetization strategies. The inclusion of in-game purchases has been anticipated since the game's initial reveal last year due to the history of microtransactions in games developed by Tencent, Pokémon Unite's partner. Similar concerns arose after Pokémon Unite beta players found that the game included a Battle Pass system that provides additional rewards, but only for a set price. After the game's launch this past week, it was revealed that Pokémon Unite uses five monetization strategies while other free-to-play MOBAs typically use two.

A new Pokémon release is always exciting, but players are justified in feeling disappointed by the prevalence of in-game purchases in Pokémon Unite. It is certainly possible to play the game without shelling out cash, but players could feel bogged down by the limitations of Pokémon Unite's free options. And with other online battle arena games that use fewer monetization strategies out there, Pokémon Unite might not be able to hold on to its audience for as long as it intends.

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