Is Torchlight: Infinite pay-to-win?

But you thought it's free to play, right?

Torchlight Infinite boss
Image via XD

Being a free-to-play game on PC and mobile, microtransactions in Torchlight: Infinite have always been a topic of debate in the community, with players flaming the developer for promoting the divisive pay-to-win concept. But are the allegations true? 

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If you have never played the game, you may wonder whether it rewards players for shelling out money—here’s the answer.

Does Torchlight: Infinite have pay-to-win features?

A battle scene from Torchlight: Infinite
Is it fair? Image via XD

The answer isn’t as simple as a yes or no, so let’s dig into the kind of microtransactions Torchlight: Infinite has to offer. 

You can purchase cosmetic items, including Appearances, to enhance your appearance using Torchlight’s premium currency, Primocryst. These don’t offer any competitive advantage, so you can avoid them. 

What triggers the debate is the ability to purchase Pactspirits with premium currency. Pactspirits are pets that slightly boost your Hero power by altering the effects induced by the Pactspirit tree. Any Torchlight: Infinite player understands the importance of having a set of good Pactspirits. 

While some players prefer investing real money to have a competitive advantage, spending your hard-earned bucks isn’t the only way to get Pactspirits in Torchlight: Infinite. You can earn a free currency called Jagged Primocryst as you play the game and use it to roll for Pactspirits too. Of course, the grind is longer and harder this way, but you have the option.

In addition to Pactspirits, you can purchase Hero Traits with real money—but you can also obtain them for free with Hero Emblems.

Well, now that we have discussed the most crucial microtransactions, we can draw a conclusion. While many would argue against it, we definitely can’t deny the existence of pay-to-win features in Torchlight: Infinite. The advantages these features offer in Torchlight are probably not as much as other blatant pay-to-win games promote, but it’s still there—and they significantly affect the free-to-play player base. 

Of course, it boils down to personal opinion, so don’t hesitate to give Torchlight: Infinite a try to know if it suits you. 

Author
Image of Sharmila Ganguly
Sharmila Ganguly
Freelance Writer at Dot Esports. An enthusiastic gamer who bumped into the intricacies of video game journalism in 2021 and has been hustling ever since. Obsessed with first-person shooter titles, especially VALORANT. Contact: sharmila@dotesports.com