Assassin's Creed Origins Director Addresses Concerns About Loot Boxes, Microtransactions

Loot boxes that were spotted in Assassin's Creed Origins have raised concerns about in-game purchases, but the game's director has been quick to clear the air about the apparent microtransactions.

Assassin's Creed fans quickly picked up on the ominous loot box sighting when a gameplay preview made the rounds on forums like NeoGAF and Reddit. The boxes in question were available through a particular merchant by spending in-game currency, but whether or not they'd be purchasable with real money remained to be seen. Ashraf Ismail, the game director for Origins, spoke to Eurogamer and explained what the deal was with the loot-selling vendor.

"He's a very unique shop [vendor] in the world who sells Carbon Crystals, which are the rarest item needed for crafting," Ismail said. "You can find this stuff in the world, but the idea is if you have the money you can just buy stuff for him."

That last part about being able to find the loot box contents in the real world is a positive sign, and Ismail went on to explain that the loot boxes would be a perfect option for players who find themselves rolling in Egyptian riches.

"Heda also sells a mystery box which can contain any weapon, piece of gear or item in the game," he continued, referring to the merchant in question. "It's a way for people who hoard lots of money, if you min-max the economy system, to gamble the money and get really unique stuff."

Outside of the loot boxes, there was also a unique mummy skin for Bayek that was spotted during some of Origins' previews. It was listed among other "time-saver" items that were purchasable options, but Ismail also explained to Eurogamer that items that players find within the e-store aren't locked behind paywalls.

"You can get that from playing in the game," he said. "Everything that's in the e-store you can get from playing the game. It's just an accelerated way of playing the game."

Some players will still undoubtedly be annoyed at even being asked to spend more money on their game, but it's still reassuring to know that you can get everything within the e-store on your own, even if it takes a bit longer than those with fat wallets.

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Assassin's Creed Origins releases on Oct. 27 for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Currently, Amazon Prime members can save 20% when they pre-order.