BO6 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Crossover Disappoints Fans Due to Exorbitant Prices

Black Ops 6's TMNT Crossover Sparks Player Outrage Over Pricing

Activision's latest Black Ops 6 crossover event, 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 requires a $10 purchase of the Premium Battle Pass. This totals $100 for the complete set, excluding a separate $10 TMNT-themed weapon blueprint. This pricing model has been met with significant disapproval, particularly given Black Ops 6's $69.99 price tag. Comparisons to free-to-play games like Fortnite, where similar bundles are considerably cheaper, further fuel the discontent. Reddit user neverclaimsurv summarized the sentiment: "That is INSANE...In Fortnite I think I paid $25.00 for all 4 turtles, and that’s a free game."

Adding to the frustration, the limited-time nature of the skins means players' investments are unlikely to carry over to future Black Ops installments. Reddit user SellMeYourSirin points out the issue of "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. This suggests Activision is unlikely to significantly alter its monetization practices unless faced with substantial pressure from its player base.

Black Ops 6's Troubled Steam Reviews

Black Ops 6 currently holds a "Mixed" rating on Steam, with only 47% of user reviews recommending the game. Beyond the pricing controversy, numerous complaints cite technical issues, including game-breaking crashes, rampant hacking in multiplayer, and the increasing use of AI.

Steam user LemonRain exemplifies the technical problems: "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 users describe encountering hackers who can instantly eliminate opponents, sometimes before matches even begin.

The shift towards AI within Activision has also sparked protest, with some players using AI-generated reviews to voice their dissatisfaction. Steam user Rundur's comment, "Since Activision can't be bothered hiring real people anymore, I've decided to take advantage of AI myself and ask ChatGPT to write this negative review for me. Enjoy," encapsulates this sentiment.

Despite the widespread criticism, Black Ops 6's high revenue, fueled by its costly battle passes, indicates that Activision's current monetization strategy remains profitable, at least for now.