Microtransactions. Nobody likes them (except maybe certain developers, but that’s besides the point), but it’s unfortunately a necessary evil in some cases for companies to generate profits. As long as they’re not intrusive, I say.

So imagine my surprise when at Tokyo Game Show 2018, it’s been revealed that Capcom is instituting microtransactions in Devil May Cry 5. Players will be able to buy the series’ iconic Red Orbs at the in-game shops called Divinity Statues.

When pressed on the revelation, director Hideaki Itsuno states that the ability to purchase Red Orbs is “an option [for players].” Itsuno elaborated, saying that if players “want to save time and just want to get all the stuff at once, those people can do that. But on the other hand I don’t feel you have to get all the moves. You should be able to play it the way you want to play it.”

But how will microtransactions affect players’ learning process for the game, considering that they can simply buy upgrades instead of working towards them? Itsuno states that upgrades that are harder to use and master will be more expensive to purchase.

“The first thing is the stuff that we feel people should want to get first is made cheaper. So people will think, ‘Oh this is cheap so I’m just going to buy this.’ But then for the stuff that’s going to be harder to use and master, we make that more expensive. Partly because if you save up for that you’re not going to be able to buy as many skills, so you’re going to have the time to learn it. So you have to make the decision between going for the cheaper stuff or saving up, getting the thing that has a lot of application but you’ll have to spend time learning and perfecting.”

In this instance, since you’re not exactly “paying to win” (plus I don’t mind the grinding to get the orbs), I can see this as an acceptable compromise. I’m not going to shell out for the orbs, but if players want to do it, then that’s their choice. But that’s just my opinion.

On the plus side, it turns out that DMC5 will also include multiplayer for 2 to 3 players. Itsuno wasn’t saying much about it, however. His only comments were “wait and see,” and, “…we have designed this game specifically to make the best single-player experience we can.” Begin your speculations.

Devil May Cry 5 will release on March 8, 2019 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.