Shadow Of War Removing Microtransactions, Here's Why

Middle-earth: Shadow of War is dropping its big microtransaction system. In a forum post today, developer Monolith said it is releasing a number of free updates to the game in the coming weeks and months to respond to player feedback to make the game better, and among the changes is the removal of some elements from the in-game marketplace.

Responding to concerns that people raised months ago before Shadow of War was even released, Monolith said it is removing all Gold and War Chests from the game's store. Being able to outright purchase Gold and gain Orc followers through warchests "reduces the immersions in the world and takes away from the challenge of building your personal army and your fortress," Monolith admitted.

"The core promise of the Nemesis System is the ability to build relationships with your personal allies and enemies in a dynamic open world," Monolith said. "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."

Currently, you can buy allotments of Gold in packages of 500 ($5), 1,050 ($10), and 2,200 ($20). Regarding the timeline, come May 8 you will no longer be able to buy any Gold in Shadow of War. On July 17, Monolith will permanently remove Gold, Warchests, and the Market itself.

If you have a balance of Gold on July 17, it will be converted to Gold Loot Chests at a rate of 150 Gold to one Gold Loot Chest. If you have less than 150 Gold, this will be converted into just one Gold Loot Chest.

In addition to the microtransaction changes, Monolith is addressing the negative feedback around the Shadow Wars part of the game's campaign. We noted in our review that this part of the campaign, which sees players defending their fortresses from Sauron, was a slog and not very fun. Monolith is pledging to improve the experience with "new narrative elements," while it will be streamlined "for a more cohesive experience." There will be other unspecified "gameplay improvements" coming down the road that will be detailed in future updates from Monolith. This will cover things like further changes to the Nemesis system, as well as new skins and changes to the skill tree. There will also be "gear system upgrades" and "progression updates."

"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.," Monolith said.

You can read this detailed FAQ to see a full rundown of what's changing in Shadow of War and why.