Helldivers 2 Dev Says They'll "Never" Force Players To Buy Microtransactions

thegamer.com:

Helldivers 2 has been a hit since it dropped on PC and PlayStation 5 last week. Perhaps more surprisingly, its monetisation is even receiving some praise, as many players are relieved to see it show some restraint, at least compared to other live services.

This praise has got the attention of Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead, whose CEO, Johan Pilestedt, has shared some thoughts on the subject. Here, Pilestedt assures fans that the team will "never" force players to buy microtransactions, and that they're available for players who "choose" to support the game.

"You have to earn the right to monetize - I truly believe that," says Pilestedt, in a tweet spotted by VGC. "If people want to support this title they have an option, but we are never forcing anyone to do so."

Of course, that doesn't mean that everyone is satisfied with how Helldivers 2 has approached its monetisation. While it's much cheaper than other games - going for $40 instead of $70 - it's still a premium game that sells you microtransactions. In fact, players are offered a premium battle pass, which has frustrated some fans already.

However, the content you unlock isn't exclusive to the battle pass and can be purchased using a currency you earn by playing the game. It remains to be seen if this is enough to keep the playerbase happy, or if they feel that buying the battle pass gives players too much of an advantage over those who aren't putting in any extra money.

Still, Helldivers 2 is going into its first full week since launch with a lot of goodwill in the playerbase, even as server outages stopped some players from picking up the game over the weekend. Reviews on Steam are mostly positive, and it sits at an 8.1/10 on Metacritic.

Helldivers 2 also finds itself in a much better position than Foamstars, whose microtransactions have become a source of mockery online. In Foamstars, a single cosmetic set costs $45 - enough to buy a full game in some cases. While the items are purely cosmetic, it still