Sony backtracks on real-money Planetside 2 buffs following fan outcry
"We have decided to go back to the drawing board."
Sony Online Entertainment has scrapped its plans to introduce paid-for consumable buffs, named "implants", within massively multiplayer online shooter Planetside 2.
The decision was made after dismayed fans filled several Reddit threads with negative feedback on the suggested feature.
"After reading through your comments we have decided to go back to the drawing board on implants," Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley wrote on Twitter this morning. "They will not be coming with [forthcoming update] GU13."
Charging real-world cash for limited-time buffs would upset Planetside 2's in-game economy, players feared, and go against previous promises from Sony to only offer cosmetic paid-for items within the game.
Planetside 2 creative director Matt Higby assured players last year that Sony would not implement a "pay-to-win" strategy for the game.
"Anything that affects gameplay, such as grenades or medkits or implants that give you additional power within the game, will be exclusively unlocked via [in-game] resources," he said at the time.
Planetside 2 is currently only available on PC, but is headed to Playstation 4 at some point in the future.