The highly anticipated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is set to cost up to $90 in COD Points for all the items, sparking a wave of criticism from the community. Activision revealed the Black Ops 6 Season 02 Reloaded content, set to launch on February 20, which includes the mid-season TMNT crossover.
Each of the four turtles—Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael—comes with its own premium bundle, expected to cost 2,400 COD Points, or $19.99 each. This means that fans wanting all four turtles will need to spend $80 worth of COD Points. In addition to the bundles, a premium event pass for the TMNT crossover will cost 1,100 COD Points, or $10, and includes unique cosmetics like Splinter. The free track offers two Foot Clan soldier skins and other items.
While the TMNT crossover focuses on cosmetics without impacting gameplay, it has led to significant community backlash due to its high cost. Many players argue that these items are easy to ignore, but the overall monetization strategy of Black Ops 6, which includes a $9.99 base battle pass, a $29.99 premium BlackCell pass, and continuous store offerings, feels increasingly like a free-to-play model.
Community members have voiced their frustrations on platforms like Reddit. "Activision casually glossing over the fact that they want you to pay $80+ if you want the 4 Turtles, plus another $10+ if you want the TMNT event pass rewards," said redditor II_JangoFett_II. "Call of Duty's Gross greed strikes again... DESPICABLE!" Others, like Hipapitapotamus, suggested that event passes might become a regular occurrence, lamenting the loss of free, universal camos.
The debate has intensified with the introduction of the premium event pass, first seen with the Squid Game crossover. Some fans argue that the monetization strategy, which mirrors that of the free-to-play Warzone, is inappropriate for a $70 game like Black Ops 6. This has led to calls for Black Ops 6 Multiplayer to adopt a free-to-play model, similar to Fortnite and Apex Legends, to better align with its monetization approach.
Despite the criticism, Activision and its parent company Microsoft remain steadfast, buoyed by Black Ops 6's record-breaking launch and significant sales increases on PlayStation and Steam. The game's success underscores its continued popularity and financial viability for Activision and Microsoft, following the latter's $69 billion acquisition of the company.
