After Metroidvania success, Ori CEO leading new action RPG takes aim at Diablo 4: "No microtransactions and battle passes ... no $65 horse skins"

Moon Studios – the developer behind beloved Metroidvania games Ori and the Blind Forest and Will of the Wisps – is gearing up to launch its next game, action-RPG No Rest for the Wicked, into early access. Ahead of that, its director has clarified that there'll be no microtransactions included in the upcoming title at all, and definitely no expensive skins to buy for horses.

In case you missed it, Blizzard Entertainment was heavily criticized last month when a pricey new Diablo 4 bundle entered the game's shop. Priced at $64.99 – almost the same price as the full game when it's not on sale – the bundle includes a sparkly, crystallized horse along with matching armor and some mount trophies (cosmetics to equip). It also comes with 7,000 Platinum (in-game currency), which is almost certainly what makes this pack so pricey, since 5,700 Platinum sold separately costs $49.99. Even so, this bundle is the only way to grab the special horse, which is a rather large shame for anyone who wants to ride off into the sunset on a gem-bedecked steed without making a significant dent in their wallet.

Back to No Rest for the Wicked, and director Thomas Mahler has stated on Twitter today: "No microtransactions and battle passes for sale. No $65 horse skins. No stash tabs for sale either. If you wanna get more stash tabs for [your] house, you just craft a bigger chest with resources you get in the world."

We're launching into Early Access on April 18th.We invite everyone to become part of our journey so that we get data that allows us to bit by bit perfect Wicked.No Microtransactions and Battle Passes for sale. No 65$ Horse Skins. No Stash Tabs for sale either. If you wanna…March 5, 2024

Further in the thread, Mahler notes that there'll be no rideable horses in the game at all, actually. "I hate horses in video games. They always kinda suck to control and combat on them is always quite meh. [...] There are horses in our world, but you won't get to ride one cause clever level design is