The devs behind Spectre Divide responded to widespread player dissatisfaction by significantly reducing the in-game prices of weapons and character skins. This follows an outpour of criticism on Reddit and Discord, where players expressed frustration over the high pricing for in-game cosmetics.
When the game was released on September 3, 2024, players were met with sticker shock, with some bundles priced as high as $90 USD. These sparked immediate backlash from the community and comparisons to Valorant were made within hours of the game's release. Many players vowed to boycott purchases until they saw more reasonable prices.
The Spectre Divide price drop
In a recent Discord announcement, the game's director acknowledged the misstep. "We took a swing that we thought would best set us up to support the game," the director stated. "Turns out we swung a bit high, so we are adjusting to be better in line with your feedback."
In response to the player outcry, Mountaintop Studios has decreased the prices of various items by 17% to 25%, with notable reductions including the Cryo Kinesis Masterpiece bundle, which dropped from 9000 SP to 7000 SP, and the Medusa Prestige bundle, reduced from 4500 SP to 3400 SP.
The interesting thing is that if you look at these items in-game, the original price is crossed out and the new price is next to it. This usually represents a temporary discount in e-commerce, rather than a permanent one.
The developers are offering refunds in the form of Spectre Points (SP). Players who bought items before the price drop will receive 30% of the SP they spent back into their accounts. This gesture is intended to ensure that those who supported the game from day one feel valued, though it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to rebuild trust.
Despite these adjustments, some players remain skeptical. The gun bundle skins in Spectre Divide are still quite expensive, even with the discount. To get 7000 SP in-game, you would need to purchase the 5,600 SP and 2,100 SP currency items. This would cost approximately $95 USD (converted from GBP). You'd have 700 SP leftover, which isn't enough to buy anything. The math isn't mathing and these gun skin bundles haven't been reduced enough at all.
It looks like the devs at Mountaintop Studios really need to consider what they want to be known for here - a game that added a new feature to FPS games that no one has ever tried before or expensive skins that no one wants to buy.
Want to check out other FPS games? Read our Best FPS Games of 2023 to find a game that suits you here at Pro Game Guides.
Published: Sep 4, 2024 08:52 am