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I always interpreted that as cosmetics are OK because it doesn't make the game unfair. You can't buy advancement in the game that way.

Subsidizing the game's devel/ops cost isn't a bad thing. Especially if it's optional and doesn't change the game.

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Very few people have a problem with just paying for cosmetics in a game. The main issue here is that it's gambling for cosmetics, rather than straightforwardly purchasing specific items.

indeed. and the fact that it can be resold at will makes it much worse as you just created an gambling ecosystem

Most people do have an issue with it, because every game that's replaced loot boxes with discrete cosmetics purchases has to then massively increase the price of them. For 20 bucks in Overwatch 1, you got (afaik) 10 loot boxes which all had 4 random items. In Overwatch 2 20 bucks barely gets you single good skin.

It's very much a grass is greener type of situation in my experience, having been part of communities of both types of games.

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