Activision's latest move with the *Call of Duty: Black Ops 6* Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) crossover has sparked significant discussion within the gaming community. The crossover, part of the Season 02 Reloaded update, features premium bundles for each of the four turtles—Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Each bundle is anticipated to cost 2,400 COD Points, translating to $19.99. If fans wish to collect all four, they're looking at a hefty $80 investment in COD Points.
Adding to the cost, Activision has introduced a TMNT premium event pass priced at 1,100 COD Points, or $10. This pass is the only way to acquire the Splinter skin, while the free track offers two Foot Clan soldier skins among other items. The crossover's focus is predominantly on cosmetics, with no impact on gameplay, meaning players can opt-out without affecting their competitive edge in *Black Ops 6* multiplayer.
However, the community's reaction has been largely negative, with many criticizing the high costs associated with these cosmetic items. Some fans argue that *Black Ops 6* is being monetized as if it were a free-to-play game like *Fortnite*. This sentiment is fueled by the introduction of the second premium event pass in *Call of Duty* history, following the controversial Squid Game crossover.
Community members have taken to social platforms to voice their frustrations. Redditor II_JangoFett_II commented, “Activision casually glossing over the fact that they want you to pay $80+ if you want the 4 Turtles, plus another $10+ if you want the TMNT event pass rewards. Call of Duty's gross greed strikes again... DESPICABLE!” Hipapitapotamus added, “Guess we can expect an event pass sold every season now. Remember when events were good and got you cool universal camos for free.” APensiveMonkey humorously pointed out, "The Turtles don’t use guns. Their fingers wouldn’t even... I hate this..."
It's important to understand the broader context of *Black Ops 6*'s monetization strategy. Each season introduces a new battle pass costing 1,100 COD Points ($9.99), with a premium BlackCell version priced at $29.99. Alongside these, the game offers a continuous array of store cosmetics. The TMNT crossover, with its premium event pass, is an additional layer on top of this already extensive monetization model.
PunisherR35 voiced a common sentiment, saying, “So they expect the playerbase to buy the game itself, buy the battle pass/black cell and now this? Na that's too much. If this is gonna be the norm moving forward, CoD needs to move to a FTP model (campaign, MP).”
Activision's approach to monetization in *Call of Duty* isn't new, but the introduction of the premium event pass has pushed some fans to their limits. The monetization strategy applied to both the $70 *Black Ops 6* and the free-to-play *Warzone* has led to comparisons with other free-to-play titles like *Fortnite*, *Apex Legends*, and *Marvel Rivals*. This has fueled calls for *Black Ops 6* Multiplayer to transition to a free-to-play model.
Despite the backlash, Activision and its parent company Microsoft are unlikely to change course, given *Call of Duty*'s massive popularity. *Black Ops 6* achieved the biggest launch in the franchise's history and set a new single-day Game Pass subscription record. Sales on PlayStation and Steam also surged by 60% compared to *Modern Warfare 3* in 2023. With such success, and Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision, it's clear that the financial incentives are strong to maintain the current monetization strategy.
