A new video game has sparked outrage with a £250 microtransaction, but surprisingly, that's not the most expensive ever. Dragon Quest Smash/Grow, a free-to-play roguelite spin-off from Square Enix, launched this week on Apple and Google Play stores. It features premium currency called gems, used for gacha pulls and other in-game purchases. The most expensive gem bundle costs £250 in the UK and $329.99 in the US, offering 50,000 gems plus bonus items. Square Enix notes there's no limit on how many bundles players can buy.
The Rise of Macrotransactions
Microtransactions have become a controversial staple in gaming, often costing far more than the term 'micro' suggests. Fortnite's largest V-Bucks bundle is £69.99, matching the price of full AAA games. Dragon Quest Smash/Grow's £250 bundle dwarfs that, but it's not the worst offender.
Even More Expensive Examples
The mobile game Gun Bros once offered an in-game gun for the equivalent of £420, though it has since been delisted. Star Citizen, the crowdfunded sci-fi MMO, sells a Legatus Pack for $48,000 (about £35,610), available only to players who have spent at least $1,000. However, the most expensive microtransaction ever belongs to Peter Molyneux's Curiosity: What's Inside The Cube? This social experiment allowed players to buy a diamond chisel for £50,000, which Guinness World Records lists as the most expensive DLC ever created. Whether anyone actually purchased it remains unknown.
