Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Devs Comment on Player Boost…

Following Warhammer 40,000: Darktide’s recent major player boost, the game’s Product Marketing Manager has thanked the community amid ongoing monetization complaints over a just-released $5 Arbitrator helmet. Warhammer 40,000: Darktide struggled at launch back in 2022 due to its perceived lack of content and monetization complaints, which are now resurfacing.

Monetization debates are nothing new in the gaming industry. On one hand, players are sick of seeing massive AAA titles with countless monetization options (even in games that aren’t free-to-play), and on the other hand, developers are concerned about the sustainability of live-service games. Darktide is caught in this debate, as the game’s developer, Fatshark, has been accused of implementing “greedy” monetization strategies. While it’s true that the game has suffered from this kind of criticism, which impacted its rating on platforms like Steam, it’s also true that it continues to boast a solid player base that has recently seen a spike following the major Battle for Tertium update. While players seem to be enjoying the new content, debate about Fatshark’s monetization strategies has surfaced again.

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By Marc Santos

As reported by IGN, Product Marketing Manager Rodrigue Delrue thanked the community for Darktide’s recent massive player boost, highlighting the high level of engagement the game is currently seeing across all platforms. Upon the Battle for Tertium update’s release on June 23, Darktide reached 43,000 players in a single day—a major spike considering that just before the patch rolled out, the number of active players hovered around 5,000. Right now, the number is smaller, sitting at 21,000 and slowly dropping.

Darktide Players Criticize Arbitrator Helmet Price

While the player boost is indeed good news for Fatshark, the developer has recently faced renewed criticism over Darktide’s Arbitrator helmet priced at $5, included in the new Adeptus Arbites DLC. Players are upset because the helmet looks almost identical to the default one, with the only noticeable difference being that its visor is up. “We've reached the current peak of FS greed,” player Nexus_Neo said on Reddit, arguing that such a basic cosmetic should have been included for free with the new class. This sparked a debate on the platform, with other players expressing frustration as well—especially considering that the new Adeptus Arbites DLC costs $11.99.

Rodrigue Delrue addressed the controversy by saying the studio will listen to feedback to improve how it approaches cosmetics in the future. Although it’s unlikely that Fatshark will make any changes to the Arbitrator helmet, players can at least enjoy all the free additions that Darktide’s Battle for Tertium update introduced on June 23.

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