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Subscribe to the world's #1 PC gaming mag Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£35.99Subscribe now Essential Hardware Dune: Awakening PC Gaming Show Recommended reading Ubisoft slows free currency gain in Rainbow Six Siege X to a pathetic crawl, then immediately drops its most expensive skin in 10 years Ubisoft CEO responds to the Stop Killing Games petition, stating the publisher is 'working on' improving its approach to end-of-life support, but that 'nothing is eternal' After raising over $800 million from its community, Star Citizen's developer delays the release of a new ship upgrade as players baulk at having to pay for it 'The absolute sincere truth is that I don't want anyone to pay any more than they should or are comfortable with': Randy Pitchford's latest post on the Borderlands pricing controversy is a whole dang essay Jagex CEO breaks glass, hits PR emergency button by promising an end to a 'tainted RuneScape 3' via microtransaction overhaul I asked the man in charge of a major live service game if ugly crossover skins are a problem, and I didn't care for his answer After saying negative reviews 'might just cause our death' and 'we've got a few months left in the oven', No Rest for the Wicked CEO claims he never said they were in 'immediate financial danger', actually Gaming Industry Ubisoft's annual financial report includes claim that monetizing games with microtransactions 'makes the player experience more fun' Stevie Bonifield 20 July 2025 Ubisoft's latest financial report defends monetization in premium games. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Frederic J. Brown / Contributor) Ubisoft's annual financial report isn't exactly "for us"—that is, people who like videogames and not stocks—but surely someone at the company had to know saying microtransactions make games "more fun" in a publicly-available document wouldn't play well. The report, filed on June 19, is pretty extensive, but only ten pages in, it dives into key elements of Ubisoft's "group business model and strategy," which includes further monetization after the initial purchase in the company's games. As reported by MP1st, the report includes a key point about "the adoption of monetization and engagement policies that respect the player experience and are sustainable in the long term." Related Articles Ubisoft slows free currency gain in Rainbow Six Siege X to a pathetic crawl, then immediately drops its most expensive skin in 10 years Ubisoft CEO responds to the Stop Killing Games petition, stating the publisher is 'working on' improving its approach to end-of-life support, but that 'nothing is eternal' After raising over $800 million from its community, Star Citizen's developer delays the release of a new ship upgrade as players baulk at having to pay for it This section includes two seemingly contradictory statements, reading, "At Ubisoft, the golden rule when developing premium games is to allow players to enjoy the game in full without having to spend more. Our monetization offer within premium games makes the player experience more fun by allowing them to personalize their avatars or progress more quickly, however this is always optional." Microtransactions are one thing in casual free-to-play games, especially when it only involves things that don't give players an unfair advantage, like cosmetic items. This is a completely different conversation when it comes to "premium games". If you're paying for a game up front, it's a lot harder to stomach microtransactions or additional purchases, unless it's something substantial like DLC. "Monetization and engagement policies that respect the player experience" feels like a half-hearted attempt to avoid much-reviled "pay to win" strategies, or otherwise aggravating marketing of in-game purchases. Even so, the bare suggestion that digital deluxe outfits or premium weapon skins are being included for our sake is laughable. It would be more respectful if Ubisoft didn't pretend microtransactions are something players would ever classify as "fun." 2025 games: This year's upcoming releases Best PC games: Our all-time favorites Free PC games: Freebie fest Best FPS games: Finest gunplay Best RPGs: Grand adventures Best co-op games: Better together The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Stevie Bonifield Contributor Stevie Bonifield is a freelance tech journalist specializing in mobile tech, gaming gear, and accessories. Outside of writing, Stevie loves indie games, TTRPGs, and building way too many custom keyboards. 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Ubisoft slows free currency gain in Rainbow Six Siege X to a pathetic crawl, then immediately drops its most expensive skin in 10 years Ubisoft CEO responds to the Stop Killing Games petition, stating the publisher is 'working on' improving its approach to end-of-life support, but that 'nothing is eternal' After raising over $800 million from its community, Star Citizen's developer delays the release of a new ship upgrade as players baulk at having to pay for it 'The absolute sincere truth is that I don't want anyone to pay any more than they should or are comfortable with': Randy Pitchford's latest post on the Borderlands pricing controversy is a whole dang essay Jagex CEO breaks glass, hits PR emergency button by promising an end to a 'tainted RuneScape 3' via microtransaction overhaul I asked the man in charge of a major live service game if ugly crossover skins are a problem, and I didn't care for his answer Latest in Gaming Industry Microsoft abruptly stops selling movies and TV shows on PC and Xbox, but past purchases will remain available Multi-billionaire Gabe Newell says the whole startup culture of pitching VCs makes no business sense: 'A great way of destroying money and wasting peoples' time' Oblivion Remastered studio is reportedly laying off 300 people After leaving Ubisoft to launch an anime avatar AI/NFT startup, Yves Guillemot's son returns to take charge of its new Tencent-backed Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow 6 subsidiary Unknown Worlds founders' lawsuit accuses Krafton of a 'months-long campaign to delay Subnautica 2' so it wouldn't have to pay $250M earnout Gabe Newell's daily routine is 'get up, work, go scuba diving,' says he's been 'retired for a long time' but works 7 days a week: 'The things I get to do every day are super-awesome' Latest in News Fields of Mistria's third major update arrives on Monday, including one huge NPC upgrade Co-op Kaiju Horror Cooking is a game about medieval monks catapulting meals into the mouths of giant monsters, and it's out later this month Ubisoft CEO responds to the Stop Killing Games petition, stating the publisher is 'working on' improving its approach to end-of-life support, but that 'nothing is eternal' Soulframe dev says launching in 2025 is now an 'aspirational goal', but you can play the fantasy RPG's pre-alpha right now if you're quick Peak's latest beta patch ensures the cooperative climbing sim actually checks players are alive when they reach the summit of its mountain: 'You no longer win if you die' Microsoft abruptly stops selling movies and TV shows on PC and Xbox, but past purchases will remain available HARDWARE BUYING GUIDES LATEST GAME REVIEWS Best PCIe 5.0 SSD for gaming in 2025: the only Gen 5 drives I will allow in my PC Best graphics cards in 2025: I've tested pretty much every AMD and Nvidia GPU of the past 20 years and these are today's top cards Best gaming laptop in 2025: I've put the best of this new generation head-to-head and we have a winner Best gaming chair in 2025: I've tested a ton of gaming chairs and these are the seats I'd suggest for any PC gamer Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads Sony WF-C710N review Asus ROG Azoth X review The Drifter review—Gritty Aussie noir meets conspiratorial sci-fi Flexispot OC3/BS3 review Shadow Labyrinth review: Pac-Man is entertainingly miscast in this grimdark Metroidvania PC Gamer is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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