Middle Earth: Shadow Of War Turns To The Dark Side, Microtransactions Confirmed

Warner Bros.’ highly anticipated return to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s world in Middle Earth: Shadow of War is coming soon and news about the game keep trickling in. Some of the details revealed so far have been promising but a recent revelation is giving gamers pause. As it turns out, the title is going to feature microtransactions.

Called the Market, the developer studio Monolith Productions announced that players will be able to spend real money in order to get certain items. The economy system is supposedly meant to enhance the Nemesis System where gamers can customize their orc army to their hearts’ content.

“An important aspect of the Nemesis System now comes in forging, customizing and leading your own army of unique Orc followers against the fortresses of Mordor,” the post reads. “There are different ways to do this, including dominating Orcs by exploring the vast open-world and encountering them as part of Orc society, or players can acquire Orcs and other items through the Market (in-game store).”

The developers also added that the Market requires the internet connection to be used. As such, those who don’t want to participate in the economy can simply turn off their internet.

With regards to what players can actually get via the microtransactions, these include Loot Chests for giving the main character Talion a boost in experience and equipment, as well as War Chests for upgrading the gear of the orcs.

Now, the good news is that players can actually get these items and buffs via the in-game currency called Mirian, which can be collected by defeating enemies or just mining them as the game progresses. Another type of currency that can be used to buy stuff is Gold, which players are awarded by completing certain missions.

If gamers wanted, however, they can obtain Gold by spending real money, Gamespot reports. In an effort to head-off criticism, Monolith pointed out that everything in the game is obtainable without spending a dime. Players can simply speed up the process if they wanted to.