Sea of Thieves Will Have Premium Shop, But No Loot Boxes
Sea of Thieves is going to be staying away from loot boxes, according to the people in charge. The game will, however, feature a premium shop, but you’ll always know what you’re buying. There will be no gambling mechanics. Moreover, Sea of Thieves will have absolutely no microtransactions on launch.
The multiplayer swashbuckling adventure, Sea of Thieves, is jumping on the “no loot boxes” marketing train. After everything that went down last year, it’s hardly a surprise that some games are going to be using the lack of loot boxes as a promotional tool. Not that I think that this is a bad thing, I definitely hail the decision to keep loot boxes out of games. I just really hope they don’t go back on their word at some point. I really want to believe in them.
Mike Chapman, the design director, was pretty categorical while talking with PC Gamer. He said: “There’ll never be a form of gambling in Sea of Thieves, of any description,” making sure to mention that any sort of pay-to-win mechanics are “completely out of the question.” Also, he said that there will be zero microtransactions in Sea of Thieves on launch. Later on, however, they will consider some kind of microtransactions. That would be the Premium Shop, where you’ll be able to buy various cosmetic items. That said, he affirmed that “…there will never be loot crates in Sea of Thieves.”
Speaking to Eurogamer, executive producer Joe Neate echoed the sentiment: “No loot boxes. No loot crates.” And, yes, no microtransactions on launch day: “For launch, it’s about delivering the best gameplay experience possible, being there, reacting, listening, taking feedback and everything else.” As for the premium shop, yes, you’ll be able to spend real money in Sea of Thieves. However, you’ll always know exactly what you’re buying. And, apparently, the first things you’ll be able to buy will be pets!
