Developer removes randomized loot boxes from Middle-Earth: Shadow of War

Enlarge / Scenes like this one of purchasing in-game orcs for real money will soon be removed from Shadow of War.

The widespread backlash against paying real money for randomized loot boxes full of in-game items has claimed another high-profile victim. Last night, developer Monolith announced that it will be "permanently removing Gold, War Chests, and the Market" from Shadow of War in the coming months, effectively ending the game's paid microtransaction system.

Currently, Shadow of War lets players purchase in-game Gold with real money, then use that Gold to purchase Golden War Chests which contain randomized, high-level Orc followers to fight alongside them. After listening to fan feedback, though, Monolith now says, "the core promise of the Nemesis System is the ability to build relationships with your personal allies and enemies in a dynamic open world. While purchasing Orcs in the Market is more immediate and provides additional player options, we have come to realize that providing this choice risked undermining the heart of our game, the Nemesis System."

Furthermore, the developer acknowledges that the mere existence of this paid, randomized marketplace "compromises those same stories even if you don't buy anything. Simply being aware that they are available for purchase reduces the immersion in the world and takes away from the challenge of building your personal army and your fortresses." That's some major pushback to the standard industry counterargument that players who don't like loot boxes should just ignore them.

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