World of Warships has had an exodus of community contributors, thanks to a popular ship being reintroduced via lootboxes, and other controversies.
Massively OP reports that while the free-to-play game had previously made money via premium time (granting extra credit and XP), lootboxes, and bundles of unique ships and other extras. The recent Summer Sale event has doubloons and summer token to buy; the latter to be spent on Distant Voyages containers.
These lootboxes could contain one of 236 permanent camouflages, 14 special camouflages, or 14 special signals of the same type. While the game had had containers before, it seems the last straw was with the USS Missouri.
The ship was launched December 2016, and was available via XP and standard play until February 2018. This was because the ship granted bonus credits, and actually began altering the games’ economy as everyone was using it (or trying to earn it). The ship was only then available via lootboxes, which some fan accused were rigged [1, 2].
The USS Missouri was later announced to be returning to World of Warships, albeit with less bonus credits (those who already owned the ship kept the enhanced rate). At the time this was to be in exchange for doubloons. However, a later update stated the ship would “appear in random bundles that can be obtained in exchange for Doubloons.”
Massively OP reports that community contributors good will had been “deteriorating over the last several months.” The Missouri being available via a lootbox was the final straw, combined with the controversy over the premium HMCS Yukon.
The ship was designed by community contributor and ship reviewer Little White Mouse for over a year. However, the final ship was nothing like what was submitted, and the developers stated she and her artist were not asked to design a ship. After outcry, the developers stated they would launch the HMCS Huron in 2022; closer to her originally submitted design.
Massively OP were tipped that many of the top North American and European community contributors were planning a mass exodus. This was planned for when the Missouri re-launched, but was brought forward to August 13th.
Little White Mouse announced their resignation as a community contributor; followed by at least 22 others by the morning of August 14th. The thread discussing this on the World of Warships subreddit was deleted at this time of writing.
YouTuber The Mighty Jingles, who had been made a playable captain within the game, tweeted that he left due to the program becoming “a one-way toxic relationship,” and that the breaking point came with how the developers treated LittleWhiteMouse (April) during her Yukon review.
However, he also states developer Wargaming continued to show contempt; and “increasingly aggressive monetisation and implementation of gambling mechanics into a game marketed to children as young as the age of seven” made him leave. Flambass, Mr Gibbins, and iChase produce similarly scathing comments with their departures.
Wargaming stated on the game’s official forum that they regretted the departed community contributors; wishing them the best of luck and hoping “that they will stay in touch with us nevertheless, we will always be here to talk.”
The developers stated the Missouri will be available by other means than the lootboxes, and that hey are carefully analyzing the bonus credit rate. The HMCS Huron, closer to the original ship LittleWhiteMouse designed, would also continue to be released in 2022.
However, many felt this did not address the core issue, and led to more outcry on the forum, and in (now deleted) Reddit threads. Massively OP reports that on the game’s official Discord, developers stated on August 18th that “due to technical limitations,” the Missouri could not be made available on the game’s store.
Instead, players must call Customer Support, and ask to exchange 19,500 doubloons for the Missouri and a slot in port. Via the premium shop, 25,000 doubloons is $99 USD (the next smallest amount is 17,000 doubloons).
Image: Wargaming Wiki
