During today's Outriders broadcast, hopefuls saw a little bit of everything from gameplay of the Pyromancer and in-depth dive into the Trickster to the way its World Tiers work and a few story beats. People Can Fly then answered some questions it received via fan mail, touching on two aspects of the game many have come to expect: microtransactions and games as a service.
Microtransactions, to many, are a dirty word. There are scenarios in which gamers are accepting of them, however, and that often relates to the game's style and the microtransactions involved. A full $60 AAA game with a story full of time savers or ways to buy XP boosts don't often sit well, as opposed to a free game that sells skins as a way of making money off the game. Either way, a lot of looter shooter-style games have microtransactions, so it's not a stretch to expect Outriders to as well. Except, it doesn't.
The end of the Outriders broadcast answers this question with a very simple and firm answer. According to Robbie Palmer, Square Enix Community Manager, "No, Outriders does not feature microtransactions." And fans may also be delighted to know that the same simplistic answer is given to whether or not Outriders is a game as a service. For those unfamiliar with the term, it befits any game designed to include and package content over a period of time in some form, in order to extend and increase the profitability of same game.
Examples include season passes found in games like Fortnite, and Apex Legends, game subscriptions like some MMOs, and multi-faceted content drops that include extended gameplay and microtransactions such as Destiny, GTA Online, and more. As far as whether or not Outriders plays into this methodology as well, Palmer states, Outriders will be a "complete experience out of the box."
This may sadden some, but this doesn't mean the game won't have post-launch support. It simply means that Outriders is what a lot of gamers crave: a game that packs a bang for its buck. Now, all fans have to do is wait for the next Outriders broadcast.
Outriders releases Q4 2020 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.