The gaming community has spoken, and it doesn't want NFTs in games. Thankfully, the STALKER 2 devs listened and decided to drop all non-fungible tokens from its upcoming video game.
Originally, developer GSC GAME WORLD announced a metaverse filled with NFTs that players could buy and sell, including one that would put three people in the game as a "metahuman." It sounded like a terrible idea, and gamers reacted accordingly.
The Reddit thread on r/Games about the announcement had to be locked as the outrage became a little too much. However, that didn't stop some intelligent comments from getting through. For example, Reddit user ArtisanJagon said, "Remember when microtransactions really took off, and people said 'how can it get any worse?' Well. Here you go," in the top comment in the thread.
Reddit user RileyTaugor was worried about the long-term impact this could have on gaming. "And just like that they lost all their Customer Loyalty. Really hope we won't let NFTs to be normalized in video gaming industry," their comment read.
There are plenty of instances of gamers overreacting to announcements from developers where the issue eventually blew over. This one seemed like the correct level of reaction, and GSC GAME WORLD quickly realized that the world wasn't quite ready for an NFT metaverse around STALKER 2. As a result, the company announced that it abandoned plans to make NFTs part of the game.
The company posted on Twitter regarding player concerns:
We hear you. Based on the feedback we received, we've made a decision to cancel anything NFT-related in STALKER 2. The interests of our fans and players are the top priority for the team. We're making this game for you to enjoy --- whatever the cost is. If you care, we care too.
Say way you will about how bad the initial idea was, but at least the company listened to its fans and decided to make the game its players want, even if it won't be able to sell excessively expensive NFTs to its fans.
STALKER 2 is set to release on April 28, 2022. It's coming to Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows PCs for $60. It'll also come to Game Pass on day one, so you won't need to buy the game if you're a subscriber.