Activision's Costly Call of Duty Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Crossover Has Some Players Saying Black Ops 6 Should Just Go Free-to-Play at This Point

Call of Duty's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover is sparking outrage due to its steep price tag. Unlocking all the themed items could cost players upwards of $90 in COD Points, prompting widespread calls for Black Ops 6 to transition to a free-to-play model.

Activision's Black Ops 6 Season 02 Reloaded update, released February 20th, introduced the crossover. Each of the four Turtles (Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael) has a premium bundle priced at an estimated 2,400 COD Points ($19.99) each, totaling approximately $80 for the complete set.

Adding to the cost, a premium event pass, mirroring the controversial Squid Game crossover, is available for 1,100 COD Points ($10). This pass includes exclusive cosmetics, notably Splinter, unavailable through any other means. The free pass track offers limited cosmetics.

The community's criticism centers on the crossover's focus on purely cosmetic items with no impact on gameplay. Many argue that ignoring the crossover is easy, but the pricing remains a significant concern.

Reddit users voiced their frustration, highlighting the cumulative cost and suggesting a shift towards a more frequent event pass system. The lack of gameplay impact and the high price point are key complaints.

Black Ops 6's monetization strategy is multifaceted, including a base battle pass (1,100 COD Points/$9.99), a premium BlackCell version ($29.99), and a constant influx of store cosmetics. The Turtles crossover and its premium pass exacerbate existing concerns.

Players are arguing that the combined cost of the game, battle pass, and additional microtransactions is excessive. The introduction of premium event passes, similar to free-to-play titles, fuels the demand for Black Ops 6 Multiplayer to adopt a free-to-play model, mirroring the structure of games like Fortnite and Warzone.

Activision's aggressive monetization isn't new, but the premium event pass has intensified criticism. The consistent monetization across both Black Ops 6 ($70) and the free-to-play Warzone is seen as unfair. What's acceptable for a free-to-play game isn't necessarily acceptable for a full-priced title.

Despite the backlash, Activision and Microsoft are unlikely to alter their strategy given Black Ops 6's record-breaking success. The game's strong performance across various platforms reinforces the current monetization model's profitability.