Halo 5 Guardians will feature microstransactions, developer 343 Industries has confirmed on the Halo Waypoint blog.
The shooter features a new Requisition System (REQ), in both Arena and Warzone multiplayer modes. REQ points are earned after each match in Arena or Warzone and are spent on REQ Packs which contain requisitions such as unlockable weapons and armours, skins, assassination animations, and other assets. REQ Packs are also rewarded for players who increase their Spartan Rank (SR) and complete Commendations in multiplayer.
343 Industries will allow players to buy REQ Packs using real money "as a matter of convenience", with some of the proceeds going towards Halo Championship Series prize pools.
Halo 5 development lead Josh Holmes has written an update on Waypoint to address concerns that players would be able to buy their way to a win, saying only cosmetic items may be used in Arena – the game's traditional competitive multiplayer mode.
Holmes wrote: "While players will earn REQ Packs across both Arena and Warzone, only cosmetic items can be used in our Arena experience. This is to ensure that all players start with the same weapons and abilities as part of our vision for the balanced, competitive play in Arena multiplayer."
This is not the case for Warzone however, a new mode revealed during Microsoft's E3 press conference earlier this week. The mode allows for up to 24 players to take on AI foes on huge maps. Weapons and vehicles from your REQ inventory can be used throughout a Warzone match, but Holmes says they're balanced by Warzone's in-match REQ Level and Energy features, which are determined by player and team performance.
Players must earn the ability to use REQs from their collection in each match, with the energy system being designed to force players to make difficult decisions about what to use and when. Each item unlocked from a 'REQ Station' in a Warzone map costs "energy" points, as you might expect, the more powerful the item the more energy it will cost.
Holmes commented "The REQ System is designed to generously reward players with a steady stream of content to keep gameplay fresh. We'll be continuing to release new REQ content, post launch, so there are always new toys to play with. All REQ content in the game can earned through the regular course of play in multiplayer."
Though the game's microtransactions may not have any major impact on Arena, there continues to be concerns among the community with regard to their impact in Warzone.
Halo 5: Guardians launches on October 27th and will offer 15 free DLC maps post-launch, though the game will not feature the popular ability to play split-screen co-op.
