Is Helldivers 2 Really Pay-To-Win? Battle Pass & Microtransactions Explained

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Despite the generally positive reception of , some aspects of the game's monetization have drawn accusations of being pay-to-win, on top of the game's standard $40 price tag. Like many other online service games aiming for continuous support and updates, includes a number of microtransactions that can grant access to additional in-game items. Unlike most other games of its type, however, offers items that can have tangible gameplay effects, as opposed to just selling extra cosmetics.

Although the gameplay of has been met with heavy praise, there are several issues currently dragging the game down — server issues commonly prevent players from getting into games, the game can crash intermittently and unpredictably, and on PC makes use of a controversial anti-cheat program, nProtect GameGuard, which has a poor reputation for potentially causing performance issues in games. In addition to these problems, the game's battle pass system and approach to microtransactions have drawn scrutiny, with some going so far as to call the game pay-to-win.

However, while it's easy to see why some players might think of the game as pay-to-win, in practice, the benefits of paying for 's premium currency, Super Credits, offer negligible advantages. Like many other online games, has a battle pass system, with two passes, called Warbonds, that players can purchase items from using an in-game currency, Medals. Currently, one Warbond is unlocked for free, and another costs 1000 Super Credits — and since both Warbonds offer weapons and armor with actual gameplay effects, it's easy to see weapons being locked behind the premium pass as pay-to-win.

However, there are a few caveats. Although Super Credits are technically a premium currency that players can pay extra real money for, they are also awarded from the free Warbond and can even be picked up in in-game missions, making them available for free, and dedicated players will be able to save up enough Super Credits for the premium Warbonds