Barely a day has passed since the revelation of Halo 5: Guardians‘ micro-transactions – or Requisition System (REQ, officially) – and fans have already vented their frustration on multiple forums across the four corners of the Internet.
In fact, this backlash was vocal enough to force 343 into action, with Development Chief Josh Holmes taking to Halo Waypoint to offer an explanation behind the feature’s divisive addition.
“The REQ System is designed to generously reward players with a steady stream of content to keep gameplay fresh. We’ll be continuing to release new REQ content, post launch, so there are always new toys to play with. All REQ content in the game can be earned through the regular course of play in multiplayer.”
As Holmes alludes to, the REQ packs can be purchased using real-world money as a “matter of convenience,” and a small chunk of proceedings will go directly to the prize pot of the Halo Championship Series. The all-new feature can be glimpsed across Guardians’ two multiplayer modes, Arena and Warzone, with players earning a select amount of points. From there, you’ll be able to spend this hard-earned, in-game currency to purchase those aforementioned REQ packs, subsequently opening up weapons and armours, skins, assassination animations and the like.
The reason these microtransactions have proven so divisive amongst Halo 5: Guardians‘ budding community is that many fear they will unbalance the shooter’s multiplayer segment, fostering a pay-to-win mentality that rules over the likes of the App Store and freemium titles.
That said, it’s worth keeping in mind that anything 343 tethers with a price tag can be earned in the game through sheer grit and determination, and the developer noted that cosmetic items unlocked through the new-fangled REQ system can only be used officially in the Arena mode.
While players will earn REQ Packs across both Arena and Warzone, only cosmetic items can be used in our Arena experience. This is to ensure that all players start with the same weapons and abilities as part of our vision for the balanced, competitive play in Arena multiplayer.
Unveiled during E3, Warzone is the novel addition to Halo 5: Guardians‘ family of multiplayer modes, pitting players versus players versus AI across gigantic maps. Stay tuned for more coverage on 343’s sequel as it nears its October 27 launch.
