After just one day of release, Peter Molyneux has been forced to remove controversial microtransactions from Godus Wars.
The original Godus was subject to a massive controversy back in 2015, and things aren’t looking much better for its successor, Godus Wars.
Developer 22Cans has come under immediate criticism regarding the game’s microtransactions, which allow the players to purchase a second region right out of the gate.
In Godus Wars, everyone will begin on a single continent, and progressing through the game will eventually grant you access to a second.
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The microtransaction provided the option to spend $5 to immediately unlock a second continent.
Something like this quickly trivialises a game like Godus Wars, which usually relies on continuous management and strategy to succeed.
Fans didn’t take lightly to this and now, developer 22Cans has confirmed it will be removing the option immediately.
“It’s been brought to our attention that the extra content being a premium add-on really isn’t a popular choice,” CEO Simon Phillips said in a statement.
“Whilst we think that it does represent good value, especially considering that Godus Wars has been delivered as a free update to hundreds of thousands of users and the lower purchase price of the main game, we understand previous Godus owners’ frustrations with this.”
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Godus Wars was released earlier this week a free upgrade for owners of the original Godus, and as a £10.99 standalone title for newcomers.
The casual inclusion of such blatant microtransactions isn’t a good sign, and certainly don’t belong in an early access title.
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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.