Developer 343 Industries recently announced that weapon, vehicle, and player skins in Halo Infinite will be called “coatings,” and immediately, people expressed concerns about microtransactions.
Community manager John Junyszek has now responded. Writing on Twitter, he said that while Halo Infinite will have a microtransaction store, it won’t be the only way to get the game’s customization items, which go beyond coatings.
“There will be all kinds customization items (including coatings) that can be earned in-game and earned as special rewards,” Junyszek said. “Will there be purchases? Sure. Is that the only way? Absolutely not.”
With the new seven-layer coating system, it appears Halo Infinite will offer many more options to players looking to create a player that is unique. “Although moving away from the old color system was a tough call, it has allowed us to go into greater detail and variation with armor color, materials, patterns, etc. You are going to look great in Halo Infinite,” Junyszek said.
We have known for years that Halo Infinite would have a microtransaction store. In 2018, a job listing at 343 mentioned microtransactions and how developers will use human pyschology and behavioural analysis to encourage people to keep coming back.
While Halo Infinite will have microtransactions, there will be no paid loot boxes. Given that Halo Infinite’s multiplayer will be free-to-play, it makes sense that the game will support microtransactions as a way to make money from the product.
It’s understandable that fans would have concerns about microtransactions, given how they can be handled in various games. It’s good to know that Halo Infinite will let players earn items through gameplay, but it’s too soon to say how player-friendly the system will be until we learn more about the specifics.
While Halo Infinite doesn’t release until 2021, you can get your hands on multiplayer skins by purchasing sugary snacks and shopping at GameStop.
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