'We're not going to go down the road of pay-to-win or trapping you to buy monetized products' — Sea of Remnants developer discusses microtransactions in the upcoming free-to-play game

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There will be a gacha system and battle pass

The Sea of Remnants key art featuring a female puppet pirate on a colorful pink background.
(Image credit: Netease Games)
  • Free-to-play title Sea of Remnants will feature gacha mechanics and a battle pass
  • The developers have confirmed that it will not be "pay-to-win"
  • The game is set to release later this year

The developers of upcoming free-to-play role-playing game (RPG) Sea of Remnants have said that the game's monetization systems will be fair.

Although it will feature 'gacha' style mechanics for obtaining characters in addition to cosmetic skins and a premium battle pass, the team at Joker Studio says that it's not going to be "pay-to-win".

"Customization is highly important," explained creative director Alfie in my recent visit to the studio's China office. "We think this is the basic need of the gamers, and we know that lots of users across the world care about the freedom and open world, but they also care about being different."

You can change the look of the game's wooden puppet protagonist with two body types in addition to a range of options for hairstyles, eyes, lips, ears, and more. While it appears that some items will be paid for, lots will be available to all players.

"We're not going to go down the road of pay to win or trapping you to buy monetized products in our games," he added. "You can already get some cosmetics, and also good characters [for free]."

'Gacha' monetization systems, which tie in-game rewards to randomized 'pulls', and paid battle passes are ubiquitous in the free-to-play space, and are already present in hugely popular titles like Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves.

Although some prospective players will undeniably be disappointed by their presence here, the creation and maintenance of such huge games requires a vast investment that needs to be recouped somehow, so it shouldn't come as too much surprise.

Sea of Remnants is set to launch later this year for Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and mobile phones. With its massive world and hundreds of unique NPCs, you can learn why it's already shaping up to be one of the most ambitious games ever made in my full preview based on more than ten hours of play time.

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Dashiell Wood
Dashiell Wood
Gaming Editor

Dash is an experienced tech journalist who currently serves as the Gaming Editor at TechRadar, where he helps oversee coverage of video games and related products.

Before joining the team, he was Contributing Writer at PLAY (formerly Official PlayStation Magazine) and has also written articles for many of the UK's biggest gaming magazines including Edge, PC Gamer, and SFX.

Now, when he's not getting his greasy little mitts on the newest hardware or gaming gadget, he can be found listening to J-pop or feverishly devouring the latest Nintendo Switch otome.

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