Activision's TMNT Crossover Sparks Debate on Black Ops 6 Going Free-to-Play

The much-anticipated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover in *Call of Duty: Black Ops 6* has stirred quite a reaction from the community due to its hefty price tag. Activision announced the crossover as part of the Season 02 Reloaded update, set to launch on February 20, featuring premium bundles for each of the four turtles—Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Each bundle is expected to cost 2,400 COD Points, equivalent to $19.99, meaning players would need to spend up to $80 to collect all four.

Adding to the cost, Activision introduced a premium event pass for the Turtles crossover, priced at 1,100 COD Points or $10, featuring exclusive cosmetics like Splinter. Unlike the free track, which offers two Foot Clan soldier skins among other items, the premium track is the only way to obtain Splinter. While the crossover is cosmetic-focused and doesn't affect gameplay, many players feel the pricing is exorbitant.

The community's frustration is palpable, with some arguing that the monetization model of *Black Ops 6* mirrors that of free-to-play games like Fortnite. This sentiment intensified after the introduction of the second premium event pass, following the controversial Squid Game crossover.

Redditors like II_JangoFett_II expressed their dismay, calling out Activision's "gross greed" for the high costs associated with the Turtles bundles and event pass. Others, like Hipapitapotamus, lamented the shift from free, universal camos to paid event passes. APensiveMonkey humorously critiqued the crossover's incongruity with the game's theme, noting that the Turtles don't even use guns.

Activision's monetization strategy for *Black Ops 6* includes a base battle pass at 1,100 COD Points or $9.99, a premium BlackCell version for $29.99, and a constant stream of store cosmetics. The addition of the Turtles event pass on top of these existing monetization methods has led some, like PunisherR35, to argue that *Call of Duty* should transition to a free-to-play model for its multiplayer component, given the cumulative costs.

Despite the backlash, Activision and its parent company Microsoft are likely to maintain their current strategy, buoyed by *Black Ops 6*'s record-breaking launch and significant sales increases over the previous year's *Modern Warfare 3*. The financial success of the game, following Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision, underscores the company's commitment to its monetization approach, even as it draws criticism for resembling the models of free-to-play competitors.