An upcoming feature in Marvel Snap is already under heavy scrutiny before it’s even been released worldwide, with many calling it entirely pay-to-win.
Marvel Snap’s impending Leagues feature, something similar to clans or tournaments, rewards players who grind and earn cubes by including a leaderboard with the top placements earning things like card variants. But it’s already out in some regions of the world, and screenshots show some discouraging signs.
A May 8 Twitter/X post from someone with access to Leagues revealed that the game sells something called Event Perks for Gold, which is a currency that can be purchased with real money or earned in-game. For 200 Gold, players can purchase 30 minutes of double points, and 150 Gold can get a 30-minute buffer where you won’t lose points.
The reaction to the post has been universally negative, with nearly everyone taking issue with the fact that perks can be bought, effectively making the mode pay-to-win unless there are some heavy restrictions.
“Everything about this game is an attempt to drain your finances,” said noted card game streamer MegaMogwai. “Everything. This is why I struggle as a Marvel Snap content creator, I think the core design is brilliant and the game is ridiculously fun to stream. Yet as a player, I do not feel respected. In the slightest.”
“Hard pass for me on this if they release it as is,” said another Twitter user. “It’s not a tournament ladder if you can pay to inflate your stats. Disappointing. I was really hoping it would be an in game tournament system people could use to build events. Huge miss.”
Many Marvel Snap players likely hope Second Dinner hears the negative feedback about the feature and can iterate some changes before its official worldwide launch, which is due sometime this year. If the mode launches as is, the pay-to-win nature may make some money but ultimately end up turning many players away.
Published: May 9, 2024 12:15 pm