10 Ingenious Ways Players Beat Video Game Microtransactions

There's perhaps no greater hot button issue in gaming right now than microtransactions: the means through which video game publishers seek to further monetise their releases, because a customer's day-one spend apparently isn't enough anymore.

Microtransactions aren't inherently an evil that's single-handed eroding the industry's sense of artistry and integrity, but they are frequently implemented in predatory ways which seek to undermine the experience of players who refuse to splash out extra cash to skip time-consuming currency grinds.

While in many cases there's not a whole lot that players can do about loot boxes and whatnot - beyond simply voting with their wallets and not using them - creative and determined players have nevertheless found ways to game the system themselves.

From using cheats to finding glitches and exploits, and even weaponising the game's own mechanics against itself, players have been able to beat the microtransaction loop and unlock that precious currency and shiny loot without spending the expected time or money.

It's far from an ideal solution in any case, but certainly a winning alternative to grinding away for hours in a zombie-like state or, worse still, stumping up the dough to save yourself the hassle...

Though Middle-earth: Shadow of War was released to largely positive reviews, critics and players alike were heavily critical of Warner Bros.' decision to include loot box mechanics.

And yet, within days of the game's release PC players managed to cheat their way around the unsavory feature.

Using the game modding program Cheat Engine, players were able to generate infinite amounts of the in-game currency Mirian, which could then be used to buy the game's equivalents of loot boxes: Silver Chests and War Chests.

This cheat effectively allowed players to buy unlimited loot boxes and unlock majorly advantageous gear far easier, even if legendary unlocks were still walled behind the acquisition of Gold, the game's premium currency.

Loot boxes were finally removed from the game entirely nine months after its release, possibly due to it falling far short of Warner Bros.' sales expectations and so likely failing to generate the massive microtransaction revenues they were hoping for. Shame, shame.