Black Ops 6's TMNT Crossover Sparks Player Outrage Over Pricing
Activision's latest crossover event in Black Ops 6, featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) as part of Season 2 Reloaded, has ignited a firestorm of criticism from players due to exorbitant skin prices. The backlash highlights growing concerns about Activision's monetization strategies.
The individual TMNT character skins (Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello) are priced at $20 each, while Master Splinter costs $10 via the premium Battle Pass. This totals a staggering $100 for the full set, excluding a separate $10 TMNT-themed weapon blueprint. This pricing model has drawn sharp comparisons to free-to-play games like Fortnite, where similar bundles are significantly cheaper. Reddit user neverclaimsurv commented, "That is INSANE...In Fortnite I think I paid $25.00 for all 4 turtles, and that’s a free game."
Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that Black Ops 6 is a full-priced game ($69.99), making the additional cost for cosmetic items even more objectionable. Furthermore, the limited-time nature of these skins raises concerns that players' purchases will become obsolete with the release of future Black Ops titles. Reddit user SellMeYourSirin points out, "It has everything to do with the fact a full price game (that’s likely gonna be replaced within the next year) has THREE tiers of battle passes."
Despite the negative feedback, Black Ops 6 remains a top-grossing title. However, the overwhelmingly negative Steam reviews (10,696 Mixed reviews, 47% positive) reflect a broader dissatisfaction beyond just pricing. Players are reporting game-crashing issues, rampant hacking in multiplayer, and concerns about Activision's increasing reliance on AI.
Steam user LemonRain summarizes the technical issues: "this game has had problems with hard crashing since launch, but the latest update has made it so I can’t complete a single match...Nothing works and I have given up." Other players describe encountering hackers who can instantly eliminate opponents, severely impacting the multiplayer experience. Some users are even leveraging AI chatbots like ChatGPT to generate negative reviews as a protest against Activision's practices.
While Activision's lucrative battle pass system continues to drive revenue, the intense backlash suggests that the company may need to reconsider its monetization approach to avoid further alienating its player base.
