Online PvPvE survival extraction shooter Arc Raiders is very good. But since launching last month, players have started to grow frustrated with the paid multiplayer game’s pricey cosmetics. And a silly helmet for a chicken is perhaps the best example of how paid skins and cosmetics can go oh so wrong, even in otherwise great games.
On November 6, a post about a new cosmetic item for a chicken exploded in popularity on the Arc Raiders‘ subreddit. In the game, each player has a chicken named Scrappy who periodically provides them with random resources between matches. This chicken can only be seen in one menu of Arc Raiders, and yet, developer Embark has already created at least two different paid cosmetic looks for Scrappy. The newest chicken skin for sale is an old-fashioned diving helmet. This helmet alone costs 700 Raider Tokens, which translates to about $7, though due to the way the currency is sold in bundles, you’ll have to spend $10 to get that many tokens. The post about the helmet reached over 7k upvotes by Friday.
Reaction to the helmet is a bit all over the place. Some players think it’s very dumb, but don’t mind because it doesn’t affect the game. Others feel like Embark is being greedy for charging so much for something that players will rarely see. There’s also a lot of confusion over why the cosmetics in Arc Raiders are so expensive. Keep in mind this isn’t a free-to-play game like Fortnite. To play Arc Raiders, you gotta spend $40. Some players assumed the fact that it’s a game you buy would shield it from free-to-play cosmetic guff, but this chicken helmet has made it clear that won’t be the case.
“I understand this is a live service game, being supported for 10 years. But this is a bit ridiculous,” said one user. “Considering half the skins aren’t even a different base model and are priced half the cost of the damn game. It’s okay to speak up about these things, because ultimately greed destroys companies — even if just silly cosmetics.”
That’s the other problem with this new chicken helmet. While it can be bought separately, it is also included in a cosmetic bundle that features an outfit for your in-game character. However, a lot of players noticed that this “new” skin looks nearly identical to a previously sold cosmetic outfit. This has led to some players claiming that Embark has done a mere palette swap and is charging players roughly $15 for the privilege of buying a similar skin all over again.
I doubt these pricey and somewhat ugly skins and items will sink Arc Raiders anytime soon. The game is one of the most-played titles on Steam right now and shows no sign of slowing down. But these expensive cosmetics are a reminder that, somehow, we are truly in an era where a $15 to $20 skin is not just common, but something most players seem to ignore or even accept. Just a few of these skins add up to the total price of Arc Raiders, which is wild. But if people are buying them… well.
