Activision brought all rumors and speculations to a screeching halt Wednesday after they announced that Modern Warfare would not include loot boxes even after launch. Instead they revealed that they are introducing a Battle Pass system to their in-game economy.
While many people are happy to hear such news, some form of monetization was expected to appear in the game post-launch. This form of monetization seems to be a more streamlined and accessible version of the Black Market system used to unlock skins and collectibles but has now added a Premium Stream of content that players can access by buying a Battle Pass. Here’s what they laid out in their blog post:
- We are introducing a new Battle Pass system, not a loot box system.
- All functional content that has an impact on game balance, such as base weapons and attachments, can be unlocked simply by playing the game.
- The new Battle Pass system will allow players to see the content that they are earning or buying. Battle Passes will launch timed to new, post-launch live seasons, so you can unlock cool new Modern Warfare-themed content that matches each season.
- With the new Battle Pass system, players will be able to earn COD Points by playing the game.
- There will be both a Free Stream and a Premium Stream of content in the Battle Pass System in Modern Warfare. New base weapons will be earned through gameplay, simply by playing Modern Warfare. Functional attachments for base weapons can be unlocked through gameplay as well just like in the game’s Beta.
- The Battle Pass and the In-Game Store will feature a variety of cosmetic content that does not impact game balance.
The Battle Pass System for Modern Warfare will not launch when the game releases on October 25th. Here’s why: First and foremost, we are all focused on making the Day One experience awesome. Second, it’s important to us that everyone who is playing Modern Warfare has the chance to work their way through the new game and unlock all the rewards that are waiting for you. We expect to launch this system for Modern Warfare later this year.
Understandably there are still questions around how the economy will evolve throughout the post-launch, live seasons. We recognize this will take time to fully demonstrate. Please know we are committed to delivering a fair system guided by the principles we’ve outlined here, and will continue to monitor feedback and player engagement to help us achieve that goal.
Please look for more information on the live seasons and post-release content plans for Modern Warfare throughout the year and beyond.