Doom Eternal will not have microtransactions, according to id Software creative director Hugo Martin. Questions regarding Doom Eternal's monetization have been increasing given publisher Bethesda's inclination for adding microtransactions and the game's confirmed multiplayer mode. It appears that expanding into microtransactions will be held off for the Doom sequel, at least for the time being. Doom Eternal will launch a complete product.
Martin elaborates on the reasons why id Software won't be implementing microtransactions, stating directly that, "Eternal is a $60 game." He makes clear that Doom Eternal is not a free-to-play game or a mobile game, that "we are giving you a complete experience with no store just like you'd expect." The idea that a $60 game would be all-encompassing isn't one shared by every developer anymore, but id Software is apparently confident that it's the right choice to make.
While Doom Eternal won't have a "store," it will have a system for unlocking content. Martin explains that players will be able to earn XP, which can be used to unlock in-game cosmetics. There will be no gameplay-affecting unlockables in Doom Eternal according to Martin, who says, "These cosmetics have no impact on how you play, they just look cool." Most importantly, Martin assures Doom fans that it's all free.
What's left unsaid is how the single-player and multiplayer divide plays into id Software's plans. Battlemode is an asymmetrical multiplayer mode in which one player becomes the Slayer, a Doomguy, and two other players summon demons to play as. It's not a hugely robust multiplayer mode, but it makes sense for Martin's XP system and cosmetics to be featured in the mode. Whether this crosses over to single-player or if there's a complete divide isn't wholly clear.
Perhaps notable is Martin's language regarding id Software's Doom Eternal monetization plans. He almost goes out of his way to say that if Doom Eternal was free-to-play, then microtransactions would make sense. This context may reinvigorate theories that id Software could be working on a free-to-play game based on Doom Eternal. It could be a Doom Eternal Deathmatch multiplayer game, which seems to be a popular request to fans. Or it could be nothing at all. Doom Eternal, at least, is safe and that should mean a lot to fans.
Doom Eternal releases March 20 on Google StadiaPC, PS4, and Xbox One, followed by a Nintendo Switch release later in the year.
