This week, mainstream MOBA gamers flipped alllll the tables over Riot Games’ gambit to sell a $450 League of Legends cosmetics bundle themed around esports star Faker. Actually, there’s more than one overpriced bundle, but that’s the biggest one and the one collecting headlines, particularly because Faker is ironically well-known for shunning cosmetics.
I have to admit my first reaction was to roll my eyes and blurt out what was basically some “welcome to the resistance” snark because… hi, where have you guys been since horse armor, exactly? Did y’all think this was only a problem in MMORPGs you snub or overseas mobile moneygrabs like Diablo Immortal, that the greed would never come for your subgenre? Where were you when we were calling out sparkle ponies and lockboxes and whaling? Where was Gondor when the Westfold fell????
But of course, once I got over my knee-jerk hot take reaction, I gotta side with the players. Greed is greed. And yes, $450 for some MOBA cosmetics is extremely stupid, even if it’s not even on the same scale as something like Star Citizen’s $48000 backer bundle. Count them zeroes, kids. This could get so much worse if you don’t stop it now.
Help me warn them. What’s the worst whaling in a multiplayer game you’ve seen in the last year?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
