The early access period for Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Ubisoft's new tactical shooter, began earlier this week, and certain players have been raising concerns about the game's microtransactions ever since. Indeed, for a time during the early access period, those that pre-ordered Ghost Recon Breakpoint encountered a number of "Time-Savers" in the in-game store, which some felt were designed to give players willing to spend an advantage. Now, Ubisoft has responded to these concerns and removed the Time-Savers, but this removal may not be permanent.
Responding to PCGamesN, Ubisoft has indicated that it was "not [its] intention" to make certain Time-Savers available through the in-game store during Ghost Recon Breakpoint's early access period. Ubisoft specifically calls out "skill point bundles, XP boosters, [and] parts bundles for advanced weapon upgrades" as the Time-Saving microtransactions that were erroneously available, and players will find that they no longer can be purchased in game.
That said, it appears that these Ghost Recon Breakpoint microtransactions may make a return at some point in the future, as Ubisoft specifically states that they have been removed "for now." The developer explains that Time-Savers are intended to provide an "optional way for players arriving later to the game (post-launch) to catch up with those who have been playing for longer," and there is nothing to suggest that Ubisoft intends to deviate from offering that option down the road.
As such, fans that are planning to jump into the game now, immediately following the Ghost Recon Breakpoint release date, do not have to concern themselves with players bypassing them through microtransactions. There is currently no information on when Time-Savers might find their way back to the in-game store, but it stands to reason that Ubisoft will give early adopters some time to progress before reinstating these controversial microtransactions.
To note, Ubisoft has also stated that significant progression will not give fans a "critical advantage" over less-experienced players in Ghost Recon Breakpoint's Ghost War PVP mode. The game's official website shines some more light on this, stating that "weapons have PvP-specific damage, and caps are put in place to lower the max values of stats coming from gear and weapons." Thus, if Time-Savers are ultimately reintroduced, they will hopefully not significantly contribute to the issues that some fans have been concerned about.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint is out now PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with a Stadia version also in development.
Source: PCGamesN