Widespread free-to-play cell sport Brawl Stars is doing one thing a bit completely different. In an period the place it appears each sport is making an attempt to nickel and dime you with an increasing number of stuff to purchase, as a substitute it’s eradicating loot bins and all random rewards fully from the sport. It’s yet one more signal that loot bins are more likely to turn into a relic of the previous as lawmakers and gamers push again on the random rewards. However that doesn’t imply Brawl Stars gamers are universally pleased about their removing.
Launched in 2019 for telephones and tablets, Brawl Stars blended cute characters with MOBA-like gameplay and a few battle royale parts. The top end result was a enjoyable top-down aggressive motion sport that I performed for weeks and weeks. However since I finished taking part in, thousands and thousands have continued to get pleasure from it: Brawl Stars has remodeled a billion {dollars} in revenue for Supercell and nonetheless has an lively participant base and group. Now, Supercell has eliminated all loot bins from the sport, and response to the change is oddly blended.
Introduced in a Brawl Speak video posted final week, Supercell’s newest replace to Brawl Stars has eliminated all random rewards from the sport. These bins have been primarily used to unlock new characters within the sport. Since its launch three years in the past, Brawl Stars has closely featured loot bins as a part of its rewards. However with yesterday’s replace, that’s not the case.
“No extra chances, no extra random rewards, and no extra taking part in the guessing sport while you unlock Brawlers,” stated the sport’s lead designer Frank Keienburg in Supercell’s Brawl Speak video.
Yesterday, as a part of this replace, all unclaimed bins have been mechanically opened and all of the rewards got to gamers accordingly. Shifting ahead, Keienburg and Supercell say that each one rewards—together with its battle passes—can be changed with “completely different, deterministic rewards, a few of that are new to the sport.” Now, gamers have a brand new battle pass-like function, The Starr Highway, which lets them unlock all characters free of charge by way of grinding. Gamers can now simply purchase any brawler they need with gems, as a substitute of randomly shopping for dozens of loot bins to perhaps get a selected hero.
“We’re making this alteration for just a few causes,” continued Keienburg. “Primarily, transferring away from chances and likelihood, which can make issues extra honest and predictable for you. It additionally offers you clear and thrilling targets each time you play the sport.”
In fact, there’s additionally the likelihood that Supercell and different devs are eradicating loot bins as numerous governments all over the world start cracking down on them with proposed new legal guidelines and laws.
Whereas I believe eradicating loot bins is an efficient factor and one thing price celebrating—particularly as cell video games proceed to be a few of the worst offenders with even good video games like Marvel Snap together with predatory purchases of over $100 or extra—the group response is way much less optimistic. Whereas some gamers appear pleased concerning the removing of random reward crates, others expressed disappointment. The feedback on the Brawl Speak video has gamers rallying towards the devs and demanding bins return to Brawl Stars.
Why? For some evidently the thrill of a loot field outweighed the frustration that usually accompanies them. Others prompt they now have little curiosity in taking part in the sport since random rewards are being eliminated. (I believe a few of these individuals must cease and assume in the event that they actually like Brawl Stars or similar to pulling a digital lever on a slot machine…) We noticed one thing just like this occur with Overwatch 2’s launch, the place some gamers have been indignant on the removing of loot bins and demanded they be returned to the sport. And whereas I agree that development in Overwatch 2 sucks for the time being, I’d moderately Blizzard work out a approach to repair that doesn’t contain bringing again loot bins, even when it did provide you with loads of free ones earlier than.
The truth is that as video games proceed to turn into an increasing number of well-liked, extra nations will start investigating the business and the way it makes cash. And loot bins are possible by no means to return in vogue so long as so many governments are main crusades to manage or outlaw them.