Epic Games is best known for its recent and controversial products such as Fortnite and the infamous Epic Games Store. Despite those two things, it looks like big boy Tim Sweeney’s Epic and THQ Nordic are “taking a stand” against loot-boxes.
In a recent report by gamesindustry.biz, the website had the chance to talk with Epic Games pertaining to the recent ESA announcement regarding Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo’s policy on disclosing loot-box odds. Here’s what Epic told the website:
“Earlier this year, the Fortnite Save the World team made a change that showed players every item that they would get in a paid llama before opening it. Earlier this week, the team at Psyonix announced a similar change coming later this year to paid crates in Rocket League. Going forward, we’re committed to the same transparency for player purchases in all Epic Games titles.”
The publication site also made mention of THQ Nordic weighing in on the disclosure of loot-boxes and adding them in their games. Here’s what THQ Nordic had to say about the ESA’s announcement:
[…] and c.) we do not plan to implement casino-styled mechanics in our games. @GIBizhttps://t.co/HA1gGFshPH
— THQ Nordic gamescom (@THQNordic) August 8, 2019
In case you can’t read the tweets by THQ Nordic, the company says that the ESA did not ask for a comment from them on the situation. However, THQ Nordic claims that they do not have a single game with loot-box mechanics published and that they don’t plan to implement casino-style mechanics in their games.
Given that THQ Nordic is supposedly taking a sweeping move not to add casino-style mechanics or loot-boxes in their games, the publication site asked Epic Games for further comment as to whether this policy will extend to games published on the Epic Games Store, and not just titles specifically published by Epic. However, Epic has not commented as of this writing.
Anyway, if the ESA words are anything to go by the loot-box disclosure policy will kick-off sometime in 2020.
