The Division will not include microtransactions, according to Ubisoft Community Manager Natchai Stappers.
“There will be no microtransactions, and definitely no [pay-to-win],” Stappers said on Twitter. Stappers went on to add that The Division’s Phoenix Credit system, which Ubisoft has described as “a purely in-game mechanic,” will be detailed in the coming weeks.
Ubisoft’s stance on microtransactions in The Division has always been muddled, though Stappers’ comments do shed some light on the situation. The gist is that power or time-saving advantages and items will not be sold for real money.
But optional cosmetic items are perfectly valid, as Ubisoft considers them to be DLC, not microtransactions.
“Microtransactions, as it’s defined, we do not have them,” Creative Director Magnus Jansen said in January 2016. “You cannot spend a little bit of money and fast-track to get better gear or [pay-to-win] or vanity items. We do not have that. The short answer is no, we don’t have microtransactions, period.”
In a follow-up statement, Ubisoft clarified that “there will be no microtransactions at all.” However, the studio also said vanity items which only affect player appearance will be sold “as DLC.”
“I don’t see an issue with people paying for content,” Jansen added, “and there will of course be DLC, because there’s nothing bad about creating more content after we release this huge game.”
In other words, The Division will not sell power, but more broadly, it will accept real money for cosmetic items. It’s just that Ubisoft doesn’t want to use the word microtransaction, lest we force them to wash their mouths with soap.
