PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) already faced a stern backlash from the community when it was updated back in August to include purchasable crates with real-world currency. The aspect of microtransactions still hovers over the popular battle royale game but this time it involves a third-party instead of the core development team.
Speaking with GamesIndustry in a recent interview, Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin stated that the streaming platform is “very near” to give audiences the option to spawn in-game items during tournaments.
“You look at the success and continued growth of Battle Royale games and particularly PUBG – probably one of the fastest growing games in history,” Lin said. “It would be super cool to add in that sort of mechanic where the audience can vote, or vote with their money, to help their favourite player or team out.”
He dubbed it as going “full-blown Hunger Games” where the spectators can actually help out the competitors through microtransactions. The idea is dangerous because spawning in weapons and healing items will naturally affect the course of a competitive match.
It is unlikely that PUBG Corp. will go through with the concept because if it does, we are likely in for another backlash. Just imagine a top-tier tournament where the viewers pay up to spawn crates with loot for a select group of players that has its backs to the wall.
PUBG has so far sold more than 22 million copies and is looking to escape early access on Steam before the end of the year. There are likely various improvements inbound for the game next year. Hopefully, such unfair microtransactions will not be in the lot.
