Path of Exile creates the industry’s first ‘transparent’ lockbox

We’ve all griped and grumbled about how MMO lockboxes are too much like gambling and tend to swindle players out of money for a chance at getting desired items. But what if an MMO came out with a lockbox that told you up front what your odds are of winning rare items, promised you an item of equal value or more to what you spend on it, and said that any of its offerings would be put up for sale on the store at a later date?

That’s exactly what Path of Exile is doing with its new classic mystery box. “We’ve taken a look at how our mystery boxes are designed, and have revamped our systems to be more ethical, transparent and provide more value than ever before,” the studio said. “We’ve flattened out the odds of possible outcomes to make it more likely to receive the most valuable microtransactions than in previous boxes.”

The odds are no secret; players have a 20% chance of winning a rare item, 35% chance of an uncommon, and 45% chance of a common in each box. Additionally, while the boxes won’t tell you what’s inside, they will post the price up front of the value of each box’s contents so that you can make a more informed purchase.

Check out what some of the offerings look like in the classic mystery box after the break!