TMNT Crossover Fails as Prices Spike, Fans Frustrated

Call of Duty fans are expressing frustration over Black Ops 6's pricing strategy following its Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover event. Discover why Activision's monetization approach is drawing criticism from players.

Black Ops 6 Backlash Intensifies

Premium Priced TMNT Skins Spark Controversy

The Black Ops 6 Season 2 Reloaded event's TMNT collaboration has disappointed players with its premium pricing structure. The four turtle skins - Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello - each cost $20 to unlock, while Master Splinter's skin requires purchasing the $10 Battlepass Premium Track. This totals $100 for all content, excluding additional $10 weapon blueprints.

Players note the irony of a $69.99 premium game charging more for cosmetics than free-to-play titles like Fortnite, which offered all four turtles for $25. One Redditor noted: "That is INSANE. In Fortnite I think I paid $25.00 for all 4 turtles, and that's a free game."

Compounding player frustration is the temporary nature of these purchases, as Activision typically doesn't carry cosmetics forward to new Call of Duty releases. A Reddit user highlighted: "It has everything to do with the fact a full price game (that's likely gonna be replaced within the next year) has THREE tiers of battle passes." The game currently features one free and two premium battle pass tiers.

As 2024's highest-grossing U.S. video game, Activision continues its aggressive monetization, though player pushback could potentially influence future policies.

Steam Reviews Reflect Player Dissatisfaction

Black Ops 6 currently holds a "Mixed" rating on Steam with only 47% positive reviews among 10,696 submissions. Beyond pricing complaints, players report technical issues including frequent crashes, hacker infestations, and concerns about Activision's use of AI.

One Steam user shared: "This game has had problems with hard crashing since launch, but the latest update has made it so I can't complete a single match." Others describe encountering hackers who can instantly eliminate entire teams before matches begin, with some players enduring 15-minute queues only to face cheaters.

Some users have turned to AI-generated reviews to protest Activision's practices. One Steam member wrote: "Since Activision can't be bothered hiring real people anymore, I've decided to take advantage of AI myself and ask ChatGPT to write this negative review for me."

Despite these issues, Black Ops 6 continues generating significant revenue through its premium battle passes, which are notably more expensive than competitors' offerings in the shooter genre.