Fallout 76 receives a new update that introduces some changes to the game, including the controversial pay-to-win repair kits.
This freshly added feature sparks controversy as it requires players to pay real money to repair in-game items such as weapons and armor.
Fallout 76 Patch 8 Goes Live
Bethesda announced late last week that a new item is arriving in the game soon. On Monday, April 8, the game developer began to roll out Patch 8 for Fallout 76, introducing repair kits.
"Repair Kits are new utility items that will help you spend more time looting and shooting, and less time toiling away at a workbench fixing your gear," Bethesda explained in its latest Inside the Vault post. "We've received lots of requests for Repair Kits, and we're excited to add them in the weeks following Patch 8."
As Patch 8 goes live, players will now be able to utilize repair kits to fix worn-out or damaged in-game items instead of wasting other resources that eat up time and require ample amount of efforts to collect.
Controversial Pay-To-Win Repair Kits
The hitch, however, is that gamers will only be able to avail the kits via the Atom Shop, a separate area from the main game. Players can only purchase Atoms using real money at Atom Shop.
Gamers use Atoms, the game's currency, to buy customization items such as clothing for their characters and furniture for campsites. Players will also be able to collect Atoms as they complete daily and weekly challenges.
The remaining Fallout 76 community is not pleased with the new addition, however, following Bethesda's announcement without spilling the details.
Kotaku believes that players who pay cash for Atoms can simply skip the toil involved in collecting crafting materials or Atoms, thereby, making their lives easier. The purchased repair kit would save them the amount of time needed for scavenging resources so that they could repair their favorite weapons and Power Armor.
On the other hand, other players insist that to avoid scavenging for materials or Atoms is somehow cheating and paying to win.
What's more, paying players could also gain some advantage in PvP matches over those who don't as they could instantaneously fix crucial weapons and armor in their Pip-Boy. They can just keep on playing.
In late 2018, Pete Hines, Bethesda Softworks' marketing executive, said that only cosmetic items would involve microtransactions.
