A new update for Gran Turismo 7 went live today, patching the PlayStation 5, PS4 title to version 1.07 and making many minor adjustments along with the introduction of Broadcast Mode. However, one certain patch note is already causing controversy within the racing simulator’s community as it’s become apparent a selection of races have had their Credit rewards lowered. The official Gran Turismo website writes the change off as an adjustment to “the rewards for events inside ‘World Circuits’ according to driving time and difficulty”.
Of course, with complaints surrounding the game’s approach to microtransactions already bubbling away following its launch, the move to reduce Credit rewards has been viewed as a way of pushing the real-life purchases onto customers. While two events have actually had their post-race payouts dramatically increased, another 16 have had their winnings cut by as much as half or more.
Discord user ddm has shared the price changes in full (via VGC), and we’ve translated that information into the table you see below.
| Event | Original Credit Reward | New Credit Reward |
|---|---|---|
| World Touring Car 800: 24 Heures du Mans Racing Circuit | 70,000 Cr | |
| World Touring Car 800: Monza Circuit | 70,000 Cr | |
| World Rally Challenge: Alsace Village | 30,000 Cr | |
| Dirt Champions: Fisherman’s Ranch | 30,000 Cr | |
| Dirt Champions: Sardegna Windmills | 40,000 Cr | |
| Dirt Champions: Colorado Springs Lake | 40,000 Cr | |
| GT Cup Gr. 4: High-Speed Ring | 35,000 Cr | |
| GT Cup Gr. 4: Brands Hatch GP Circuit | 45,000 Cr | |
| GT Cup Gr. 3: Spa Francorchamps | 50,000 Cr | |
| GT Cup Gr. 3: Suzuka Circuit | 50,000 Cr | |
| GT Cup Gr. 3: Autodrome Lago Maggiore | 50,000 Cr | |
| Clubman Cup Plus: High-Speed Ring | 25,000 Cr | |
| Clubman Cup Plus: Tsukuba Circuit | 25,000 Cr | |
| Clubman Cup Plus: Goodwood | 12,000 Cr | |
| American Clubman Cup 700: Special Stage Route X | 15,000 Cr | |
| American FR Challenge 550: Blue Moon Bay Speedway | 10,000 Cr | |
| American FR Challenge 550: Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca | 10,000 Cr | |
| American FR Challenge 550: Willow Springs Raceway | 10,000 Cr |
Criticism of the approach began on Gran Turismo 7’s release day of 4th March 2022, when a range of microtransactions went live alongside the game. Currently, on the PS Store, you can buy up to 2,000,000 Credits for £15.99/$19.99. There are then other options like 250,000 Credits for £3.99/$4.99 and 750,000 Credits at £7.99/$9.99.
As we noted in our Gran Turismo 7 PS5 review, the option to buy more Credits from the PS Store sits directly underneath your overall Credit balance. “With the ‘Top-up on PlayStation Store’ icon forever emblazoned below your credit balance, it’s clear you’ll be able to pay your way to the best cars in the game right away.” During the review process, we never felt strapped for digital cash. However, lowering the amount of rewarded Credits across multiple events could change that and make more players consider giving in to microtransactions.
What’s your take on this? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
