Helldivers 2’s Killzone crossover, confirmed and released today, December 18, has already caused backlash over the prices of its items.
Helldivers 2 and the first part of the Killzone crossover include a Killzone-themed armor set, assault rifle, banner, cape, and player title.
Complaints about the prices of these items have come amid the frenzy that has marked Sony’s Killzone franchise for a decade since the launch of the last game in the guerrilla first-person shooter series.
The new armor costs 500 super credits, the new cape costs 310 super credits, the new helmet costs 310 super credits, and most importantly, the new assault rifle costs 615 super credits. Oh, and all of these items are only available for five days before they rotate out of the store.
It’s worth putting these values in context. 1,000 SC costs $9.99 / £7.99 in the in-game store. One of Helldivers 2’s Premium Warbonds costs 1,000 Super Credits, which means that if you want all the Killzone items, you’re looking at just shy of twice the price of a Premium Warbond.
Now, Helldivers 2 will have players who have saved Super Credits after almost a year of playing the game, and it’s worth noting that you can unlock 300 Super Credits in Warbond with your medals, or find them by looting gameplay. . But the fact remains that these items are also being sold for real-world money, and the pricing is unlike anything fans have seen in Helldivers 2 thus far.
Meanwhile, the Killzone assault rifle has sparked renewed pay-to-win complaints from some in the game’s community, despite being considered somewhat inferior to guns already available. The Helldivers subreddit is already full of complaints, many of which point out that Helldivers 2 is not a free-to-play game and should therefore take a different approach to monetization.
User straight-break-4169 said: “No set should cost more than 1,000 SC. While we forgot the armor set, a new AR?? They seriously added a new gun and locked it behind a 600 super credit paywall!?”
“The 615 SC is downright ridiculous for a primary weapon,” added goopmaster_. “I get that the game needs to be monetized somehow, I get that devs work isn’t free, but charging half Warbond price for an assault rifle without an optic is straight up bullshit.”
“I knew it was a slippery slope, but didn’t think we’d reach that part of the slope yet,” commented Sovietmarma. “I willingly paid for 1,000 SC packs for each Warbond release so I could support the game and buy the super store armors that came with them. Don’t think I will do the same here.”
In a blog post, Arrowhead said that Helldivers 2 x Killzone 2 belongs to a new tier of “special” premium content reserved for collaborations and other “uniquely-themed works.” “Our plan is to offer you something different and special,” added the developer.
Helldivers 2’s recent Illuminate update breathed new life into the game, sparking a resurgence among players and a new faction to fight against. But as happened more than once in the game’s rollercoaster first year of live service, it’s a one-step-forward, two-step-back phenomenon for community sentiment.
And, as you’d expect, fans are taking to Steam user reviews to express their displeasure over Killzone’s pricing. “Superstore items are straight up scams,” reads one negative review. “Such a shame after such a great update.”
Wesley is IGN’s UK News Editor. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or privately at wyp100@proton.me.
