Cosmetic microtransactions (along with a new Premium Credits currency for buying them) are coming to Tom Clancy's The Division as reported by PC Gamer.
The addition of cosmetic microtransactions and the associated currency was towards the bottom of the Patch Notes for Update 1.6:
With 1.6, we’ll also be revamping the in-game store, adding a new currency and extending the range of items available for purchase at a special vendor – including new emotes, weapon skins and other vanity items.How the cosmetic microtransactions will work and the new Premium Credits currency is detailed in an F.A.Q. on the game's official website. As expected, Premium Credits can be purchased for real money through the official store of whatever platform you're playing the game on. Ubisoft hasn't ruled out free credits, either - they've stated that some will be dispersed as a free reward for members of the Ubisoft Club. They've also stated that they may give out free credits in the future.
Unfortunately, the tone of the F.A.Q. state that there won't be an in-game way to earn the credits through normal gameplay. However, Ubisoft has categorically stated that nothing you can purchase with Premium Credits will have any effect on gameplay whatsoever; they will provide no competitive advantages or affect game balance in any way. This falls in line with their mysterious statements regarding microtransactions earlier this year; while they pulled an 180 on microtransactions, they're definitely not P2W.
Players on the 1.6 Public Test Server will gain some Premium Credits in order to test the functionality. The credits from the PTS will not carry over to the main game, and testers will not be able to purchase any additional credits on the test server.
The cosmetic items will include weapon skins, backpack skins, clothing items, emotes, and packages containing a mix of all of these things. Players of Tom Clancy's The Division will be able to purchase these items at the Premium Vendor, and the vendor's stock will rotate on a weekly basis after each routine maintenance downtime. Packrats need not worry about space; cosmetic items won't be taking up any of your regular inventory.
Ubisoft has not yet announced the prices for Premium Credits, the content of the store, or what items in the store will cost. They will announce more details at a later date.
What do you think of the addition of cosmetic microtransactions to Tom Clancy's The Division? Will you be trying to get your hands on some of these new goodies or have you put the game down for now? What do you hope to see in future expansions for the game? Let us know in the comments below!
