Microtransactions will be removed from Middle-earth: Shadow of War

Monolith Productions announced today that microtransactions will be removed completely from Middle-earth: Shadow of War in July. This news comes just over six months after the game’s release in September.

“In order to fully restore the core promise of the Nemesis System, we’ll be permanently removing Gold, War Chests and the Market from Shadow of War,” said the announcement. “This means the option to purchase Gold with real-world money and the ability to gain Orc Followers from War Chests will be removed.”

Players will be given a specific amount of time to spend any unused Gold. After that time runs up, any unused Gold remaining will be converted into in-game items. Monolith did not state exactly which in-game items players would be receiving in this situation.

Furthermore, the same free update will also change the Shadow Wars section of the campaign in an effort to make it more streamlined for a “more cohesive experience.”  New narrative elements will be added to accomplish this.

Players still wishing to purchase Gold have until May 8, 2018 to do so. Gold, War Chests, and the Market will then be permanently removed on July 17, 2018.

The removal of these features may be a case of “too little, too late” in some people’s minds, but it should improve the experience either way.