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Call of Duty's latest crossover with *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles* is generating a lot of buzz—not just for its nostalgic appeal, but also for its steep price tag. According to current details, collecting all four turtle-themed bundles could cost players up to **$80 in COD Points**, with each character bundle priced at 2,400 COD Points (roughly $19.99). Add in the premium event pass—which costs an additional 1,100 COD Points or $10—and the total climbs toward **$90** for full collection.
Activision officially announced the *Black Ops 6* Season 02 Reloaded update, which launches on February 20 and includes this highly anticipated TMNT collaboration. Each of the four iconic turtles—Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael—comes with their own exclusive Tracer Pack, expected to retail at the standard 2,400 COD Points per pack. The premium event pass adds even more content, including the Splinter character skin—a must-have for fans, though only available through the paid track of the event pass.
The free track of the event pass does offer some rewards, such as two Foot Clan soldier skins, but many players feel the real value is locked behind paywalls. As with previous collaborations like the *Squid Game* crossover, the TMNT event has once again reignited discussions about how much Activision expects players to spend for cosmetic content that doesn’t impact gameplay. With multiplayer balance unaffected by these purchases, critics argue that the content is entirely optional—yet increasingly difficult to ignore.
Community Backlash Over Monetization
The community response has been mixed, with many players expressing frustration over what they see as aggressive monetization tactics. Some are now calling for *Call of Duty: Black Ops 6* Multiplayer to become free-to-play, given the rising cost of content and the presence of similar monetization models in free titles like *Fortnite*, *Apex Legends*, and *Warzone*.
“Activision casually glossing over the fact that they want you to pay $80+ if you want the 4 Turtles, plus another $10+ if you want the TMNT event pass rewards,” redditor II_JangoFett_II said. “Call of Duty's Gross greed strikes again... DESPICABLE!”
Others have pointed out that the introduction of premium event passes—first seen during the *Squid Game* crossover—is setting a concerning precedent:
“Guess we can expect an event pass sold every season now,” Hipapitapotamus suggested. “Remember when events were good and got you cool universal camos for free.”
Is Call of Duty Becoming Too Commercialized?
It's no secret that *Call of Duty* has embraced live-service monetization strategies. Every season introduces a new battle pass costing 1,100 COD Points ($9.99), with the premium BlackCell version available for $29.99. In addition, there's a constant rotation of cosmetic items in the in-game store. Now, with the added layer of premium event passes, many feel the game is crossing into territory typically reserved for free-to-play games.
“So they expect the playerbase to buy the game itself, buy the battle pass/black cell and now this? Na that's too much,” PunisherR35 added. “If this is gonna be the norm moving forward, CoD needs to move to a FTP model (campaign, MP).”
While microtransactions are nothing new to the franchise, the shift toward premium event passes has pushed some fans past their breaking point. Many argue that it's unreasonable to expect players to pay nearly $100 for cosmetics in a game that already costs $70 to access. For comparison, Warzone remains free-to-play, yet shares a similar monetization structure—making the disparity between the two experiences even more glaring.
What’s Next for Call of Duty?
Despite the criticism, Activision and Microsoft show no signs of slowing down. *Black Ops 6* had the biggest launch in the series' history and set records for Game Pass subscriptions. Sales on PlayStation and Steam increased by 60% compared to *Modern Warfare III*. Financially, the strategy is clearly paying off. Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision looks increasingly strategic from a revenue standpoint, even if some fans are growing weary of the paywall-heavy approach.
Still, the calls for a free-to-play model for *Call of Duty* Multiplayer continue to grow louder. If Activision intends to keep adding premium layers to the experience, players may soon demand access without the upfront cost—especially if the expectation is to spend nearly as much as the base game on optional cosmetic content.
