Asmongold expresses his displeasure with the loot boxes that have become commonplace in today’s video games in a Lost Ark stream.
Asmongold, a Twitch streamer who rose to prominence thanks to World of Warcraft, has never been shy about his opinions on video games and the gaming industry as a whole. There has been one constant, unchanging stance throughout it all: disdain for loot boxes and microtransactions, while his views and opinions may have changed over time – perhaps most notably Asmongold’s take on Final Fantasy 14.
In the gaming world, loot boxes have long been a source of contention. Gambling has been compared to the idea of spending real money for a chance to get the item that players want – and it’s a fair comparison. Needless to say, Asmongold agrees wholeheartedly, and no matter which MMO he’s played in his Twitch career, the popular streamer has always scoffed at the practice.
While a microtransaction model featuring loot boxes was recently announced for Lost Ark for western audiences, Asmongold stated that he would never support microtransactions involving chance and that any premium cosmetics should be purchased directly from the store.
By serving as a gateway drug for the young audience who play these games, the popular Twitch streamer went on to say that they take advantage of people who have gambling disorders and gambling tendencies, as well as shape a gambling mentality. With a class-action lawsuit filed against Electronic Arts in 2020, the most egregious example of loot boxes in recent video game titles can be found in Madden’s Ultimate Team.
Known for never buying or accepting a single World of Warcraft mount or pet from the game’s store, Asmongold has never accepted them as gifts from his fans. People who bought store mounts, he claims, contributed to World of Warcraft’s current downward spiral.
In Asmongold’s ideal world, players would never have to pay real money for cosmetics, and he has done everything he can to avoid supporting any microtransaction model, even while playing games like Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone.
After a five-month hiatus following the death of his mother, Asmongold has reassured his fans that he has not given up on Final Fantasy 14 and is looking forward to continuing his journey through the remaining expansions.
As his audience has no doubt missed his famous Azeroth transmogrification and mount competitions, he clarified that more Lost Ark and even World of Warcraft content was on the way. Asmongold’s opinion on loot boxes will never change, regardless of which video game he chooses to play.
