- ans upset that exclusive rewards are locked behind a $1.99 Premium Battle Pass
- Activision accused of exploiting Squid Game’s popularity for profit instead of offering free content
- Despite protests, developers have not yet reversed their decision on premium rewards
Call of Duty’s thrilling crossover with Squid Game turned from something to be excited about into controversy right after the reveal of event details by Activision.
Exclusive Squid Game Rewards
What truly upset fans is some rewards in the event can only be unlocked through the Premium Battle Pass for which players will have to pay $1.99 (1,100 COD points), while they were expecting them to be free.
In a recent blog post, Activision penned down the information regarding the event, launching from January 3 till January 24, revealing new game modes—Red Light, Green Light, Squid Game Moshpit, and the list goes on.
The post also mentioned the rewards players can look forward to earning during the event like Operator skins. But what caught everyone’s attention was the extra rewards that come only with the Premium Pass, these include:
- “High Authority” XM4 Assault Rifle Blueprint
- Weapon Blueprints for:
- Knife
- GS45 Pistol
- Saug SMG
- Concussion Grenade Equipment Skin
- Finishing Move
- “Throwdown” Emote
- “Who’s Left” Talking Gun Screen
- Ultimate Mastery Reward: “Front Man” Operat
Community Upset Over Monetization, Calls for More Free Content
This move instantly displeased the community, making them feel like the company was trying to fill their pockets instead of focusing on adding real value to the game. Players are demanding Call of Duty; Black Ops 6 should offer more free-of-cost rewards and content like many other installments.
They accused Activision of using Squid Game’s popularity to generate its own revenue. Although the ongoing protest and condemnation of this act seem impactful, developers haven’t changed their decision to make these rewards accessible to all players.
They may or may not alter it but as the game is already suffering from player loss and other issues, it has become crucial for the studio to address such concerns and focus on restoring the fans’ trust and shape the game into what its motto says about: free-to-play.
There have been many technical and cheating problems and fans feel that, instead of fixing these problems, Activision is leaning into monetization strategies that put a strain on loyal players.
Players have used social media platforms to raise their voices, and for now, they are looking forward to hearing from the developers to say something in the community’s favor.
Meanwhile, the January 3 update just launched and warriors can beat the frustration by diving into the new modes and enjoying the Squid game rewards that don’t cost anything if they aren’t willing to spend on the Premium Battle pass.
