PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is one of the hottest games around, so maybe we shouldn’t be too surprised that its in-game items are becoming a big commodity the day that loot crates become go on sale. But it’s still shocking to see a digital trench coat on in Steam’s marketplace for hundreds of dollars.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds users can now spend money on loot crates that contain random cosmetics. Other games, like Overwatch, use a similar system. But Blizzard doesn’t permit its players to sell those virtual goods to others. Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds, however, uses the Steam Marketplace, so they can.
And some items are available at insane prices. A purple miniskirt is selling for $590. A bandanna is going for $350.
The loot crates are controversial idea in the PUBG community. Players argued that it wasn’t fair for the game to introduce microtransactions while it was still in Early Access. But we are living in new times, where an Early Access game can already make over $100 million in revenue. The battle royal shooter has a ton of players, and the loot crates give the developer a way to make money off of them after their initial purchase.
But, and call me crazy, I feel like there must be a better use of $222 than a pair of in-game hotpants.