Halo: The Master Chief Collectionhas now been available since 2014 on Xbox One, with PC and Xbox Series X/S support being added in recent years. It’s a beloved product amongHaloand Xbox fans, delivering six of the platform’s most popular and successful games in a single package. 343 Industries has even supportedHalo: The Master Chief Collectionrobustly with seasonal content for multiplayer, adding to the bundle’s value. However, 343 appears to be courting controversy withHalo: MCCwith the potential addition of microtransactions in the near future.
The report stems from 343’s own message to theHalo: The Master Chief Collectioncommunity shared via a blog post on the Halo Waypoint community website. The post was written byHalocommunity writer Alex Wakeford, who explained that 343 is making some dramatic changes toHalo: MCCin the future. These changes include converting the bundle’sSeason Points currencyinto Spartan Points. 343 is also considering making these Spartan Points available to purchase with real money.
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Spartan Points would be able to be used tounlock items withinHalo: MCCand would specifically be geared toward people who “may not have dedicated much time” or for “completionists looking to catch the last outstanding items they need.” In other words, 343 would be making the content previously made available through gameplay and seasonal progression open for real-money purchases.
While 343 makes clear that it isn’t making this change for certain, it seems all but. Wakeford describes the situation as an “exploration” and communication of the possible change as an effort toward “transparency.” As most video game fans have likely already heard from other game developers, the addition ofHalo Infinite-like microtransactionsis explained as an “additive feature” in that players who don’t want to spend real money won’t have to.
The reaction to the potential addition of microtransactions toHalo: MCCwithin theHalocommunity is understandably very negative. The strongest point being made is thatHalo: MCChas been available for years now and there has never been a call to add microtransactions to the game. 343 framing this like a desired feature is disingenuous and could, in some players' view, tarnish the legacy of some ofXbox’s most beloved games.
While the decision of whether to make Spartan Points available for real money still hasn’t been officially decided, 343 is going forward with other significant changes toHalo: MCC. It will no longer have a seasonal content update schedule, instead opting for a “Series” model, the exact nature of which was left ambiguous. Expect further information regarding 343’s plans in the weeks to come.
Halo: The Master Chief Collectionis available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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