Warzone 2 devs balance “pay-to-win” DMZ bundles with subtle change
Warzone 2 players have accused the DMZ bundles added in Season 3 of being “pay-to-win,” and the devs have introduced a change in April 16 update to try and make the rewards fairer for those who haven’t spent money.
Warzone 2 Season 3 introduced some major changes to the battle royale, but DMZ mode was also on the receiving end of some big updates. Fans of the Tarkov-inspired mode saw the arrival of the handy Skeleton Keys, as well as a new way to exfil with the Heavy Chopper.
The update also brought a handful of new bundles for DMZ players to buy from the store. However, these were quickly slammed for their “pay-to-win” permanent upgrades, such as Operator Slots and Self-Revive Kits.
Now, with the Warzone 2 April 19 update, steps have been taken to make the rewards included in paid bundles more balanced to ensure that spending money doesn’t offer too much of an advantage.
The patch notes explained that the devs have “added a one-minute countdown on DMZ match start before Player can use UAV Killstreak.”
UAVs are an extremely valuable tool in DMZ, as they reveal the location of nearby enemies and AI. But those who purchased the Rose and Thorn bundle would be guaranteed to start a match with the Killstreak, while other players would have to scavenge one for themselves.
Players believe that delaying when UAVs can be used at the start of a match is designed to give anyone who hasn’t purchased the right bundle time to loot up before being hunted. However, many feel like this change has done little to solve the issue.
In a post on the Warzone subreddit, ‘Vikan12’ said: “Instead of taking the P2W bundle effects out of the game they are trying to ‘balance’ it.”
Others in the replies also called out the developers, asking for the pay-to-win bundles to be removed instead of trying to adjust them. “I hope they start getting their asses kicked by competitors. P2W is f**king garbage, keep that in mobile games,” responded ‘Jasond777.’
Meanwhile, some players defended the inclusion of permanent updates as part of paid bundles, explaining that other free-to-play games of its ilk have used similar tactics.
“The game it’s imitating, Escape from Tarkov, has pay-to-win mechanics. They’re not even close to first. Not by a long shot,” said ‘mak6453.’
Only time will if see more bundles of this kind in Warzone 2 DMZ going forward, but for the time being, the devs certainly seem committed to the idea. Don’t be surprised to see more paid rewards when Season 3 Reloaded and Season 4 roll around.
For more on Warzone 2 DMZ, be sure to check out this easy trick to farm Skeleton Keys, as well as how to check your stats.
Image credit: Activision
