Players who picked up Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled earlier this year were met with a robust experience with plenty of secrets and unlockables to collect. Since the game's launch, fans have already gotten free DLC, and developer Beenox has plenty more post-launch content planned. To that end, details on the next update have recently been announced, and it will include the addition of microtransaction elements to the kart racer.
According to the latest Activision blog post, the Back N. Time Grand Prix update for Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled arrives on August 2. As part of this update, there will be new characters, karts, skins, and customization items available in The Pit Stop online store. The game's virtual currency, Wumpa Coins, are how players will purchase these items, and thus far Wumpa Coins have been earned simply by playing the game.
However, once this update arrives, players will now have the option to purchase Wumpa Coin bundles using real money in Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled. That said, the old system of earning coins through gameplay won't be changing with this update, there will just be the added opportunity to buy them directly.
In addition to this new monetization method, the Back N. Time Grand Prix update is adding new free content for all players. The biggest addition is the Prehistoric Playground course, a caveman and dinosaur inspired track with plenty of shortcuts to discover. Additionally, a season pass is being introduced, and it will bring 18 new pieces of content to be unlocked by completing challenges and climbing up the tier list. Rewards include the Nostalginator and Mammoth Karts, the Baby T. character, and more.
While the addition of microtransactions will likely anger some fans, it shouldn't be too surprising considering Activision's track record. For example, games in the wildly popular Call of Duty franchise contain such real money transactions. Not only do these games often include a season pass that grants access to more multiplayer maps, they also feature online stores where players can spend in-game currency or real money to acquire new customization and style options.
Considering that the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will ditch the season pass, it stands to reason that Activision will look to monetize other parts of the experience. However, fans will have to wait for more details on the forthcoming shooter before knowing exactly how that might materialize.
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is available now for PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Source: Activision