To celebrate reaching “three million registered players” the developers of Battlefield Heroes, DICE, have released a new map (Sunset Showdown) for the game.

The new map largely relies on in game advertising and micro transactions for revenue which is causing quite a stir among fans. 

Although Battlefield Heroes General Manager Ben Cousins has revealed that there are “over 50,000 new players joining us every week” and that “the vast majority of our players play for free,” a number of community members are complaining that a recent shift in policy goes against the original ideal of favouring those who buy new items with cash. 

This shift brought about higher prices for items purchased with Valour Points – an in-game currency earned on the basis of playing time. 

Now, say some players, no one but the most hardcore Battlefield gamers will be able to afford super weapons without using cash. According to some calculations roughly five hours of daily play is now needed to earn enough in-game funds to keep a “super” weapon without resorting to real-world funds.

To many this signals a strong departure from the game’s original ideology which initially suggested that, “We also sell microtransaction items to our players–items like new hats, mustaches, and weapon upgrades–which enhance the game and make your character look cool without completely breaking things by letting some rich kid kill you with a special nuclear missile he bought but you can’t afford.”

According to an initial game trailer, posted by DICE when Battlefield was released, the game “focuses on fun, accessibility and not getting shot in the face repeatedly by a swearing, ultra-skilled 15 year old boy who plays the game every day for 8 hours.”