Monolith explains how Loot Boxes work in ‘Middle Earth: Shadow of War'

As its release date draws nearer, more information regarding “Middle Earth: Shadow of war has been shared by its developer. According to Monolith Productions, the action RPG will feature a popular reward system used by several games. It was revealed that the sequel will include Loot Boxes. However, unlike other titles like “Overwatch” and “Rainbow Six: Siege,” “Shadow of War’s” Loot Boxes can only be bought with real money.

Fans were reportedly disappointed to hear that the game will feature micro transactions that could give an unfair advantage for those with cash.

Loot Box system of 'Middle Earth: Shadow of War'

Monolith Productions explains that gamers can obtain special Orcs, XP boosts, and unique gear via the Loot Boxes. While it may seem that the system is similar to selling cheats in order to advance quickly in the game, the developers assured gamers that purchasing these items are entirely optional. They point out that the option was implemented to give players a choice.

Regular players can still earn all the items, weapons, and orcs in-game.

A representative from the game studio explains that “Gold exists for users who want to speed up their army building process.” The developers want “Shadow of War” players to know that they want to give them choices. They also assured gamers who wish to play through the game without micro transactions that there will be no “negative impact on their game.”

All items accessible via normal playthrough

The gameplay is going to be quite balanced so that most players do not have to rely on Loot Boxes. In fact, Monolith Productions is confident that a large number of gamers will have no need of it. Paying customers will never get any special content that won’t be available through regular methods. Regular players will just have to grind through the challenging parts of the game to recruit troops for their army, while those who fork over their cash will still have to rely on the RNG system to obtain legendary troops.

Offline gameplay confirmed

When news regarding the Loot Boxes surfaced, people thought "Middle Earth: Shadow of War" required a constant online connection during play. However, Monolith Productions has confirmed that only access for micro transactions like Loot Boxes will require an internet connection. Meanwhile, regular gameplay and other modes can be played offline. The game’s target launch date will be on October 10, 2017, for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the PC.