A new item has just been released in CoD for $80, making it the most expensive cosmetic in franchise history. It looks terrible, so you aren’t missing out this time. But what does this say about the future of CoD, and should we be worried?
See if you can spot anyone running around with King Kong’s right arm when you next hop on to CoD (the current playlist features Rebirth Island, which should be nostalgic for a lot of you). This is a new skin for a melee weapon, and it costs $80, which is more than Modern Warfare III, and a record high price for the CoD Store.
Are they testing how far they can push the playerbase in the future with these prices, or is this really just a one-off?
Call of Duty Release Most Expensive Cosmetic In Franchise History
The most expensive “micro”-transaction in Call of Duty history has just been released. It’s called the B.E.A.S.T. Glove, and it turns the Gladiator melee weapon (a punch knife) into King Kong’s fist, so that you can punch people and feel like King Kong. And it costs $80 (which is the same as almost three copies of Helldivers 2).
To be precise, you need to buy four separate bundles, which cost $20 each. Once you have all four, you automatically unlock this blueprint for the Gladiator melee weapon. Here is what the B.E.A.S.T. Glove looks like in Modern Warfare III:
And before you ask, no, you don’t get special unique animations when you attack with the B.E.A.S.T. Glove. You simply strike opponents with the normal thrusts your character would use if a knife was equipped.
Community Convinced That Activision Are “Testing The Water”
As you would expect, the community are almost unanimously opposed to the release of the B.E.A.S.T. Glove. Many believe that this is merely a test for future cosmetics that require the purchase of multiple, individual bundles.
And as one Reddit user added in a thread dedicated to the new $80 weapon skin:
These things don’t cost a lot of money to make. Most bundles are just a few days of work from a group of outsourced peons, and will turn profit even if only hundreds of whales bought it.
Of course, you could argue that this is just a free bonus for those who wanted to buy all four of the Godzilla x King Kong bundles anyway. But incentivizing the purchase of so many bundles during a single event opens a dangerous door.
The B.E.A.S.T. Glove is thankfully underwhelming, but what if they bring out another cosmetic that looks amazing in the same way. As it stands, the most you will ever have to spend for the very best items in the game is $20, but we could see a future where the best items are locked behind $80 paywalls.
Bundles You Need To Buy To Get The B.E.A.S.T. Glove
You will need to buy all four of the following packs, which will cost you about $80, to unlock the B.E.A.S.T. Glove blueprint for the Gladiator melee weapon.
1. Kong Tracer Pack (2400 CoD Points / $20)
2. Shimo Tracer Pack (2400 CoD Points / $20)
3. Godzilla Tracer Pack (2400 CoD Points / $20)
4. Skar King Tracer Pack (2400 CoD Points / $20)
As you can see, none of the Operator skins look great, and the only weapon skin that will have long-term use is the MCW because it’s part of the ranked multiplayer meta (which, unlike Warzone, doesn’t change every week). This makes the release of the B.E.A.S.T. Glove feel even more egregious, as we’re certain nobody would want all these bundles based on their individual content.
What do you think about the B.E.A.S.T. Glove? Is it acceptable to have such highly-priced microtransactions? It’s not unheard of in other games, just check out the most expensive weapon skins ever sold on the CS market, but it’s certainly a first for CoD. Let us know in the comments.