Balatro is gaining hype as one of the most unique games in the industry. The combination of roguelike elements and traditional poker seems to be working wonders for the game.
With a 90-point MetaScore and a Universal Acclaim badge on Metacritic, the game’s popularity has set up an opportunity for Activision. Now might be the perfect time to resurrect a game mode initially added to arguably the best game in Treyarch’s lineup.
Balatro’s Rising Popularity Highlights a Market Opening for Call of Duty
Veteran gamers who are cracking away at Balatro and have witnessed the original Black Ops in its full glory might get a hint of nostalgia. Admittedly the roguelike poker game isn’t anything like the fast-paced shooting and evading done in Activision’s ace FPS title.
However, there was once a party game mode that fit the bill at least in part. This was the Wager Match game mode in which players would up the stakes by putting their precious COD Points on the line.
This game mode allowed players to compete against each other in various formats including Gun Game, Sticks and Stones, Gun in the Chamber, and Sharpshooter. The game mode was eventually decommissioned and wasn’t featured in future Black Ops titles.
Since COD Points are now available to purchase with real money, if the game mode were to be brought back it would translate to gambling. Moreover, this would also reduce microtransactions by awarding COD Points to winners in the mode.
However, now that titles like Balatro are gaining speed perhaps gambling won’t be frowned upon by the community too much, if at all. So this might be the perfect time for Treyarch to introduce a game mode that ups the stakes.
Call of Duty Can Avoid Microtransactions Altogether Too
COD Points and microtransactions have been controversial for players in the video game community. In Black Ops, they could earn COD Points through other means. This included tasks like completing contracts and game modes like Wager Matches.
While recent games like Black Ops 6 do award some in-game currency here and there they work more like an incentive to purchase more. If some methods to earn COD Points without money, that wouldn’t compel players to spend real money.
In-game cosmetics bring an opportunity to earn bragging rights in modern FPS titles. This includes weapon skins, camos, blueprints, and operator skins. If Treyarch would allow players to stake Weapon XP tokens to unlock camos or allow wagering other cosmetics, no real money transactions would be necessary.
This would not only add a dimension of skill to procuring cosmetics but also distance Wager Matches from gambling. Do you think Activision would allow Treyarch to make these changes? And how do you think players will respond to them? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
