Big update set for the popular action RPG
A big announcement has been made this week regarding microtransactions currently available in action RPG Middle-earth: Shadow of War.
Developer Monolith Productions has been "listening to your feedback" and will be releasing a series of free updates in the next couple of months to offer current fans and new players "the best Shadow of War experience". On April 2nd, they confirmed that the Market - where gamers can purchase Gold to quickly gain stronger soldiers - will soon be removed permanently.
What has the developer said?
On the WB Games Community page, Monolith said "The core promise of the Nemesis System is the ability to build relationships with your personal allies and enemies in a dynamic open-world. While purchasing Orcs in the Market is more immediate and provides additional player options, we have come to realize that providing this choice risked undermining the heart of our game, the Nemesis System.
"It allows you to miss out on the awesome player stories you would have otherwise created, and it compromises those same stories even if you don’t buy anything. Simply being aware that they are available for purchase reduces the immersion in the world and takes away from the challenge of building your personal army and your fortresses. In order to fully restore the core promise of the Nemesis System, we’ll be permanently removing Gold, War Chests and the Market from Shadow of War.
"This means the option to purchase Gold with real-world money and the ability to gain Orc Followers from War Chests will be removed. There will be a specific amount of time given for players to utilize their unused Gold.
"If players have unused Gold by the end of the time allotted to spend it, any remaining Gold will be converted to in-game items."
In addition to the Market being removed Monolith also announced a few updates for the Shadow Wars section of the campaign - which sees players defend their fortresses against Sauron’s repeated counter-attacks.
Monolith continued "This portion of the game will be improved with new narrative elements and streamlined for a more cohesive experience. For players who choose to continue with these on-going fortress defense missions, the Endless Siege update released last November will still be available.
"We’ll also be incorporating many other gameplay improvements that will be detailed in future build notes, including Nemesis System updates, new player skins, skill tree additions, gear system upgrades and progression updates, just to name a few that we’re excited about.
"Please note that the above updates are free for all Shadow of War owners. The ability to purchase Gold will permanently cease on May 8th 2018. The permanent removal of Gold, War Chests and the Market will take place on July 17th 2018, at the same time as all other updates discussed above."
Monolith concluded "The entire team here at Monolith appreciates our dedicated fans, and we feel that these improvements will provide all players with the very best Shadow of War gameplay experience. In the meantime, we’ll keep everyone informed throughout the process as we work through the details associated with these changes.
"We’ve also posted a FAQ as a reference to provide additional information. Thank you again for your support."
Shadow of War, the sequel to the multi-award-winning Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, was released on Steam PC and console in October 2017 and has scored 'Mostly Positive' reviews overall on Steam.