Activision is risking the ire of gamers with a new Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 micro-transaction item that’s unlikely to leave a smile on gamers’ faces.
Within the in-game content store, the publisher is offering a new smiley face reticle – the visual crosshairs for the weaponry – for one pound and seventy nine pence.
It’s available for 200 COD Points on the Black Market. The in-game currency can be purchased for £1.79 in real money. As Eurogamer points out, this is the only way to obtain the reticle.
Here’s how it looks within the game itself:
Image credit: Eurogamer
To add insult to injury, the reticle was free within the first two games in the series. Of course, this is an optional purchase, but gamers aren’t happy. Warning: colourful language ahead.
Why no LTM today, seeing as it was due out today, Activision just dropping the ball on everything but hey we’ll keep selling a smiley reticle that was free in BO1 & Bo2 for £1.79 twats
— Baxter (@Baxt3rTho) January 22, 2019
A smiley face reticle for $2 ???? Game is trash. #BlackOps4
— Jeff Schultz Jr (@Jeffschultzjr) January 20, 2019
I’ve officially entered a “never buy a game from EA or Activision again” stage in my life. Good thing Bungie split! $2 for a fucking red dot? GTFO of here Activision! Lmao
— BOOSTkdv (@BOOSTkdv) January 20, 2019
In the comments on Eurogamer, ‘imagonnawin’ did as his name prefaced. He wrote: “Do they sell a frowny face one to more accurately represent the fallen gamers who used to really enjoy their products?”
Related: Best PS4 games 2019
Activision is already in hot water with some fans of the series due to its Black Ops 4 micro-transactions strategy. Back in November, it attracted criticism for charging 2000 COP Points (around £15) for its Fall Firearms special order, which effectively amounts to cosmetic skins for weapons.
Overall, Black Ops 4 has been a return to form for the one of the biggest franchises in gaming. We gave it 4.5 stars out of a possible 5, and praised the smooth gunplay, excellent level design and a story woven through all three branches of multiplayer. We lamented the loss of a single player campaign, but, overall, our reviewer Jake Tucker, called it a “great reinvention of a slightly stale franchise.”
Is the reticle a harmless option for gamers who simply wish to buy it, and a minor inconvenience for those who don’t? Or are you offended by the principle of the thing? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
