Warner Bros. and developer Monolith have revealed new details about Middle-earth: Shadow of War, namely that the game has a microtransaction store called the Market. In Shadow of War, this is called the Market. As explained in a forum post, players will be able to purchase things like loot chests, war chest, XP boosts, and bundles. An internet connection is required to access the Market.
The Market’s existence comes as part of Monolith’s expansion of the Nemesis system. “An important aspect of the Nemesis System now comes in forging, customizing, and leading your own army of unique Orc followers against the fortresses of Mordor,” Monolith said. “There are different ways to do this, including dominating Orcs by exploring the vast open-world and encountering them as part of Orc society, or players can acquire Orcs and other items through the Market (in-game store).”
Here is a breakdown of the items you can buy from the Market, with descriptions written by Monolith:
- Loot Chests contain Gear (weapons and armor) of varying rarity. Equipping and upgrading these weapons and armor enhance Talion’s character abilities. Loot Chests can also contain XP Boosts that help level up Talion faster.
- War Chests provide Orc followers of varying rarity to help forge a strong army. They can also contain Training Orders to level up and customize Orc followers.
- XP Boosts are consumables that help level up Talion faster.
- Bundles package up Loot Chests, War Chests and Boosts together at a great value.
These items are obtainable by spending in-game currency called Mirian, which you get in the game by defeating certain Orcs, destroying gear, destroying orc followers for gear (which can then be destroyed for Mirian), or finding Mirian stashes in the game.
You can also buy items in Shadow of War with Gold, which you can get by spending real money. Additionally, you will get a “small amount” of gold at “specific milestones in the game and you’ll also get some for taking part in community challenges.
Gold is another form of in-game currency that can be used to get higher level Loot Chests, War Chests, Boosts and Bundles of the aforementioned content. Monolith made clear that everything in Shadow of War can be obtained through normal gameplay. Spending money on Gold is only a means to speed up progress. “Everything a player can buy with Gold can also be earned in the game over time for free, but Gold gives players the option to acquire these items faster. No Gold purchases are necessary to enjoy the complete game experience,” Monolith said.
Pricing for Shadow of War’s microtransactions has not been announced. Microtransaction stores in AAA games is nothing new or surprising, as many games let players spend more money on extra content.