Destruction AllStars was due to release as a full-price PlayStation 5 launch title, before Sony pivoted and promised the multiplayer game for PlayStation Plus members. While you will get the entire experience for free with your subscription, there is a caveat it seems: the Challenge Series – which will “provide a little bit of backstory and character motivation” according to game director Colin Berry – will be locked behind a premium currency called Destruction Points.
So, what does this mean? Well, as previously announced, the title has two currencies: AllStar Coins and Destruction Points. The former you’ll be able to earn by playing online, while the latter can be purchased from the PlayStation Store. Both can be used on cosmetics, which the developer stresses are for “personal expression only” and will “not gain you any competitive advantage”.
However, it does seem like there’s a little more to Destruction Points than it first appears. The game’s Challenge Series, which looks to be a little like a traditional arcade fighting game ladder, will “focus on one AllStar and their rival”. But to play these you’ll need to “buy in” using the aforementioned Destruction Points, meaning you effectively have to pay to play them.
Berry explains: “They provide a little bit of backstory and character motivation as well as plenty of heated action. In each challenge, you’ll pit your skills against rivals in [the title’s various gameplay modes], as well as unique single player challenges. Challenges culminate in a final showdown with a rival.” Judging by the footage, it looks like there are cut-scenes, too.
Apparently, later in the year, the developer will add daily and weekly challenges, which will provide another (presumably free) method to obtain Destruction Points, although it’s unclear what the pay-out will be. None of this, of course, is all that uncommon in free-to-play or full-price titles these days, but we figured it was worth pointing out all the same.
[source youtube.com]
Comments 78
Doesn’t surprise me being this game went from being full priced to free to play. Have to make some type of money back somehow I guess
Deary dear. This game is a colossal flop before it’s even released.
@nessisonett Why so?
Ooooh this is bad.
If it's in line with Rocket League im ok with it.
@NOLIMITGHST its not free to play though, it'll be included in PS plus memberships for the first two months but its still a full priced game and presumably still £70 plus this on top
Ironically, that arcade mode is the one thing that really caught my eye. To find out I have to use microtransactions to gain access to it is such a buzzkill.
@get2sammyb It was supposed to be a full game release and now they’re basically giving it away and locking the content behind paywalls.
Bad move. It’s not FTP and they’re already having horrible paywalls. I hope they backtrack again.
This what happens when you guys being cheap and don’t want to buy games at full price.
I wasn't overly convinced by the gameplay footage but after reading this I'm out altogether
I mean if you play the Multiplayer enough you will get Destruction Points to do the Challenge Series, it's not that bad.
Well, we'll have to wait and see.
There is nothing that gets me more excited for an upcoming game than the announcement of in game content being pay walled. Oh yeeeeeah.
@nessisonett If the game is being given away for free, how can it flop? Literally everyone with a PS5 and PS Plus will have the game.
@nessisonett they're copying the same path as Rocket League and Fall Guys, both successful games partly due to PS Plus. I also think this would have flopped if realised as originally stated, but only due to the lack of player base on a new console who would purchase out right. Correct decision by whoever made it, whether successful or not.
@LiamCroft If the game’s free instead of being £70 then it shows that Sony have zero confidence in the game. Let’s be real, the average spend on MTX from users is going to be less than £70. Therefore it’s going to make less money than Sony were expecting and will be a flop.
Gamers: I'm not spending £70 on a game at launch.
Also gamers: Their blocking content behind a paywall, I know their giving it away on Plus but still.
@Nessisonett The Fortnite and Warframe guys must not have had any conference in theie games when they made them F2P too.
@AdamNovice Pretty much.
Don't understand the complaints as it has been done many times in the past with other games so it shouldn't concern anyone period. Download it, play it, and if you don't like it enough to throw at least 5 to 10 dollars, then uninstall it, and move on with your life. It just screams that you're poor and just spend half the time on the internet complaining THAN PLAYING GAMES!!!!!
Have Sony or Lucid officially confirmed this is going to be $70 after the two month Plus window is up?
Oh god ,this game screams driveclub
@nessisonett I wouldn't go that far, but I can definitely see it dying out dramatically after a few months. I have a strong feeling this is going to go the same route as Drawn to Death.
Prediction: Total Flop
@SegaSaturnSNK don't mind paying for any decent dlc ,but this garbage must stop and the only way its gonna stop is that people complain.
@vapidwolf It'll never stop and if it did, people will still find a way to cry about. People still cry baby DLC and season passes. So might as well eliminate those but then, people will complain there isn't enough content. There is no way to satisfy the cry babies of the internet my friend. This isn't now, people are still complaining about this for 10 years or more now. It's tiring and pathetic at this point.
@nessisonett and how is that a flop? We don't even have the game yet...seems a bit premature
@Wormold Won't the game remain free for February but after that, it'll return to be $70? I wouldn't mind if the game was free to play with no need of paying $70 but as it is? I'm kinda skeptical :/
@LiamCroft Yeah tell that to Drawn to Death.
@LiamCroft "Literally everyone with a PS5 and PS Plus will have the game."
That's like 4 people and a handful of scalpers at the moment.
@NOLIMITGHST It's not FTP. It's still a $70 game. PS+ users get it for free next month, but that's it. People without PS+, or those who missed out on it, will still be paying $70, and more if they want the "campaign".
@Octane That's the thing. They're releasing this during a time where A LOT of people still don't have the console itself, and this opening window is the best shot this game is ever going to get. And it's not like one of the single player exclusives that will still there when someone gets the PS5 a year or so from now. This game could literally have its servers turned off by the time the PS5 is more readily available. Again, Drawn to Death was a Plus game, and that died out so fast even with millions upon millions of people owning a PS4 and subscribing to Plus.
@Constable_What And Hardware Rivals. Remember when people thought it was going to be the next Rocket League? Then it just kinda...fell into obscurity?
Same can be said with Disc Jam. Like Hardware Rivals, it was offered on PS Plus and while not completely dead, it's not as actively supported as it once was.
The only PS Plus multiplayer game I recall that did manage to continue to live on was Fall Guys. Though one exception won't guarantee the next one to be as successful.
I'm still interested on trying out Destruction Allstars, but I'm worried it'll suffer the same fate as some of Sony's other multiplayer games like Drawn to Death and Hardware Rivals. But hey, we'll just have to wait and see.
@RBMango I think you're only providing more evidence as to why these types of games are a terrible idea
Here's the thing; why not include a proper campaign; and charge $30 for it. Make the online version a separate thing for free. Or heck, charge another $30 if you want.
@Octane I wouldn't mind paying $60 for something like this if I was convinced the single-player and multiplayer were both well-developed and amazing experiences, and it only doled out microtransactions in the form of reasonably priced skins every so often. No premium currency, no artificial grind, and no season events. Titanfall 2 did that flawlessly.
@SoulsBourne128 Right! The successes are easy to remember, but no one really remembers the numerous failures put in this situation.
I only remember Drawn to Death because I thought it was going to be good, and was excited for it.
It was not good.
Hopefully this game is different, but I see the writing on the wall.
not sure how this is any different to something like destiny 2 where you can only buy the season pass with premium currency, and that includes exclusive exotic weapons quests, and other in-game activities, only for season pass owners.
not really sold on this, and usually anything at all which involves vehicles is an instant pass from me anyway. hope it's successful though.. i guess it will depend on exactly how well/slick it plays. seeing rocket league early on PS4 i would have bet then that it would be a very short lived fad.. after all it was really only an iteration on acrobatic supersonic battle-cars, and hardly anyone played that. RL took off being on PS+ plus, and released when there wasn't much else exclusively next-gen. similar situation for destruction allstars.
So basically, what we have here is another $70 game with MTX?
@SoulsBourne128 I had completely forgotten about Disc Jam and Hardware Rivals until today.
@RBMango Yeah, the problem with this game is that it's essentially a $70 FTP game, with a paid campaign AND MTX on top of it. I'm definitely going to invest in a campaign when they can pull the plug at any moment. So you can only enjoy the ''single player'' part as long as other people are playing it and the servers are kept online.
@Octane ahhhh ok I see now lol yea that’s pretty messed up I got my console and ps plus on launch but I know most ppl won’t get to really use this offer consoles are still hard to come by and scalpers definitely don’t help
I guess it’s not a surprise, but if this Challenge Series has trophies specific to it and you can only access this mode with real-world currency, that is absolute BS.
But if it’s true as the article suggests that daily and weekly challenges will be added in a future update that allow the accumulation of Destruction Points without having to spend real money, then this is probably much ado about nothing.
I'm honestly divided on this. On one hand, the game does look very fun and it certainly has a lot of charm and personality (which is more than I can say with the recent gritty playstation exclusives we've been getting), but locking behind single-player content behind a paywall is in my opinion a bit questionable. Granted it's not necessary to have it, but it's stuff like this that would've been fine if the game was free-to-play first and buy-to-play only for those that want access to all single-player stuff, and only the f2p players have to unlock them with premium currency. But that's just me.
If the game turns out to be a decent success at launch, then i'll be happy for the devs and will be interested on how they'll support the game onwards. If not however, then I won't be too surprised if the game will the suffer the fame fate as Battleborn or Marvel vs Capcom Infinite
So I just watched the video and it clearly states that "destruction points" can be purchased in the PS Store or earned through daily and weekly challenges. Meaning that literally nothing is locked behind a paywall.
Edit: what remains to be seen is how quickly you can earn enough points to unlock those character-focused modes. Hopefully it won't be weeks of grinding. If they balance this right, I really don't see a problem.
I will give the game a chance, but, it feels like that type of game where you play for like two weeks and you are over it.
Some ppl can play this forever like Rocket League and never get tired of it hopefully this delivers for them.
@4kgk2 exactly. Maybe people who buy the game get the campaign for free? Many are jumping the gun.
I don't even care for those. Multiplayer is the important thing
looking forward to playing it! some people will find fault with anything on this site.
@carlos82 you are getting the game for free.
Yisus people. You complain is $70 and now are complaining that everything is not free?
@nessisonett how the hell you know everyone will spend less than $70 in the long run? You god or something?
@art_of_the_kill yes but 50m ps plus users can add it to their library. Sony lost 50m potential sales. Use pc/phone store. No need for ps5 to add it
But whatever. If it ain't a single player game with god of war or resident evil name on it, I don't want it. Or some top 10 developer is making it. That's how this site acts.
People hating wb for making their games GaaS, but some games actually do it well (killing floor 2, monster hunter world) so it's not the end of the world for anything that is not a single player game.
@LiterallyDoNotCare I'm not though, if I stop subscribing to plus then I don't own it. Even forgetting how it is monetised, I didn't think the game looked that good anyway and by the time I get a PS5 again the game could be long since dead. Sony have a pretty poor track record when it comes to supporting online games such as this
@carlos82 why would you want to own a game you need ps plus for?
Let the game be released first.
Are they locking trophies behind a paywall? 🤔
@LiterallyDoNotCare I don't want to own it, you said it was free but its not if I have to subscribe. There are online games that can be played without plus
@stormyuk They're clearly not. This article fails to mention that the currency can be also earned in game.
@carlos82 lol. So now you want it to be free to play?
You get the game for free. Everytime you want to play it, you will need have to ps plus, so either way, you still need plus to play. Yo got something extra for something you always had to pay. A game.
My god. People really want to downplay anything. Some old gate warlords here. Single Player only!!
@LiterallyDoNotCare eh? I've said on multiple occasions I don't want to play it because I wasn't that impressed with the gameplay.
Do I agree with microtransactions locking content in what will be a paid game for some? No I don't, have one model or the other as far as I'm concerned
@carlos82 maybe people who buy it get the levels or get enough premium currency to buy them?
Why do you care if others have to pay later? The game's price might drop in 2 months if sony sees is not selling. The thing is, now you don't need to worry to play it day 1.
You got the game for something you already pay for and would have to pay to play that exact game anyways.
You people complain about the price (meaning you complained because you wanted the game, I am hoping that's the reason you complain), and now the game is free and here we are.
@carlos82 If you don't like, move on. At least you didn't spend $70 to know you don't like. I really don't see why is this a bad thing 4 u.
..will “focus on one AllStar and their rival”. But to play these you’ll need to “buy in” using the aforementioned Destruction Points, meaning you effectively have to pay to play them.
I don't get it. Do you have to use destruction points everytime you want to play? Or does it unlock that mode for one character, unlimited?
@LiterallyDoNotCare who's you people? And its part of a paid service, so not free. Also I have moved on as I didn't like the look of the gameplay, you're the one who keeps going on about it
@PhhhCough I'm pretty sure it's a one time purchase. Having to repeatedly pay real-world money or grind out currency for one shot at a mode like a literal arcade game would be ridiculous.
@carlos82
Are you even listening to what I am saying? Instead of spending $70 + $60 you pay $60 + $0
If half of the ps users have to pay $70 later, who gives a damn?
Games drop in prices. If they really want it when they get a ps5, you just add it to the library via the pc store. I am doing exactly that. That's those 60+m problem they have to pay $70 and still the $60 later.
@RBMango the game is technically free because you still have to buy plus.
Ps4 ps plus members can add the game through ps store. No need to have a ps5 now.
Idk if these mini campaigns are worth playing them. Just for a few cutscenes? i don't think it detracts from the main attraction which is the mp with friends.
@LiterallyDoNotCare That makes paying for them even worse if they're lame and bare-bones. I could be onboard with the idea if they were $5 bite-sized stories that were really enjoyable, funny, and/or heartwarming. But, like you said, I don't know if that's going to be the case, and I really, really doubt it will be.
@RBMango so don't buy them. Enjoy the game for what is for. Mp with your friends.
@LiterallyDoNotCare I won't be. However, I'm still going to criticize the move if I see that they're the vapid experiences I'm suspecting they are.
@RBMango I'm pretty sure it's like Bugsnax was. You have 2 months to claim it, then it won't be free anymore. But as long as you claim it to your library, it's free
The game looks ok, it's just trying so hard to be cool with it's kooky list of cookie-cutter characters and so on. It'll be fun for a 2 hour bash though and I'm glad they went down the ps+ route.
@MidnightDragonDX Lmao not gonna lie it's been awhile since I've heard a good Hiss! on the internet lol
I wouldn't be surprised if once the game is sold at 70£ the campaign is either already unlocked or if you get enough Destruction point with your purchase to play the campaign.
I had this pre-ordered at full retail price, so I can't wait to try it.
@nessisonett Rocket League was free to begin with, then you had to pay for it. Did that flop too?
With so many people her defending and criticizing the game, in the end, it really just depends on how Sony will see the game. You could one day continue to have a blast with the game despite the criticism, and then BAM, server shutdown announced for next year just because it sadly didn't meet Sony's expectations. Really hoping the devs would actually listen to feedback and hopefully continue to support the game.
At the very least, they should add Sweet Tooth in the game. If Rocket League could get a Twisted Metal collab, why not Destruction All Stars, right?
@Katsuhono I'd actually would like that lol Though highly doubtful since it would mean people who actually spent money on the coins just to unlock these missions were pointless lol
Though appearantly you can actually obtain Destruction Coins through challenges and such, which is something I just realized now lol Strange that the article didn't point it out. I still find this decision weird, especially when it's a $70 online only game. This would have been fine if it was a F2P from the start, instead of "Free for 2 months".
Also, I don't want to be like one of those guys, but while I can see the reasons on why people here defending this decision, I can't help but feel like this would have been different if the game was multiplatform or better yet, an Xbox exclusive lol
People here really need to understand that just because Rocket League was good, that doesn't mean Destruction All Stars could have the same success. Just look at what happened with Disc Jam, Hardware Rival, Dead Star or Drawn to Death.
And mind you, I'm still interested on trying the game out (I'm one of the few who actually finds the gameplay fun, although the art direction is definitely all over the place). I'm just worried the game won't last long, even after being offered on PS Plus. After all, Sony is not well known for their recent online multiplayer games. Of course, GoT: Legends, GT Sport (though not as favored as some of the other GT games) and Dreams are exceptions but what about Drawn to Death? Or Driveclub? Or Tomorrow Children? Or Ready Set Heroes? Or Predator Hunting Grounds, which granted, is still supported, but who knows how long will the servers continue to hold up?
@SoulsBourne128 Destruction Points will be earn-able at a later date, I am not a big multiplayer guy and I would have probably enjoyed the solo content but I don't think I'll be playing the game anymore at this point (maybe not) and there's no telling how much these challenges costs and how much D pts we xan earn through gameplay. Battlefront 2 was like 40h of play to unlock Darth Vader initially.
@Katsuhono Yeah, I can see your point. And yes, that Darth Vader grind was super tiresome. Although, in the case for this game, is just to see some story challenges with very few cutscenes that one can see on Youtube, which kinda sucks (for me) cause I want to earn these by myself instead of having to rely on someone uploading videos of these lol
What can you do, I guess.
So, this is a $70 game that is only free for a month.
By virtue of being a paid game, you will need PSN Plus to play, meaning it alrwdy has a pay wall, and they adding a second layer of paywalls for anyone looking for more than mindless multi-player?
This is ridiculous...
@4kgk2 Really?. £70 is a joke for any video game. Returnal ... £70... an indie studio who make great but short small budget games. I would not pay £50 for a Naughty Dog game....
If Sony wants £70 for exclusives then reviews should be up a week before release or bring in a return for refund if played for no longer than 2 hours.. physical or digital.
Any product you buy you can pretty much return and these products will have been reviewed. Games at £70 that are reviewed on release day or day before is a piss take...Sony may pay the hardest price for this as many people I've spoke to are not happy with £70
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