Forza Motorsport 7 does away with loot boxes

Forza is the latest triple-A franchise to pull loot boxes from the game, as Turn 10 Studios announce that they’re stripping loot box functionality from Forza Motorsport 7 and canning certain elements of Forza Horizon 4 which rely heavily on microtransactions.

Loot boxes have been under fire of late as consumers and regulators alike have pushed back on the system, which sees players paying real-world money for a chance to win an in-game item.

The UK’s gambling commission has ruled that loot boxes are not gambling as users cannot ‘cash out’ their winnings into real money, but several countries around the world have not been so charitable, in addition to a large percentage of gamers rallying against the concept.

Interestingly, Forza Motorsport 7’s loot crates, known in-game as prize crates, were never available for real money, but it seems like the developers are keen to rid themselves of any negative association with the practice.

"While we’ve never charged money for prize crates in Forza Motorsport 7," states studio head Alan Hartman, in a blog post on the company’s website, "’their presence in the game has continued to be a source of controversy. The overwhelming feedback has been that this system feels out of place in the game. After careful consideration, we have decided to completely remove prize crates from Forza Motorsport 7. Similarly, paid tokens – which were a part of previous Forza games – will not be coming to Forza Motorsport 7 or Forza Horizon 4"

"Due to the complexity of removing prize crates from the game – while keeping access to Driver Gear, Mods and Badges – we expect that this process will be completed in the winter timeframe. Starting this month we’ve already taken steps towards that goal, first by unlocking more than 100 previously locked "exclusive" cars and, second, by completely removing cars from the prize crates in the game. The current lineup of prize crates offer no competitive advantage and only offer Driver Gear suits, Mods and badges, and these crates will remain in place until crates are removed entirely."