Black Ops 6 players outraged by Double XP being locked behind a “gross” paywall

The rate at which players gain XP in Black Ops 6 is controversial, so players didn’t respond well when Activision announced that players would earn more XP if they purchased the BlackCell.

As part of the upcoming Season 1 Reloaded update, Activision will incentivize users to purchase every BlackCell for each upcoming BO6 seasonal update. Buying every BlackCell starting in Season 2 will eventually give you a 50% XP bonus by Season 6.

CharlieIntel posted a full breakdown of the XP gains. For reference, the BlackCell Battle Pass costs $29.99. So, fans weren’t happy when they learned that earning more XP would be locked behind a paywall.

CoD content creator Westie sarcastically responded, “Our game already has an abysmal reputation… what harm is one more controversial addition gonna do?”

“It should be a boost for those who let’s say complete the battle pass each season. Putting this behind a paywall is gross,” a second user added.

Ultimately, this XP gain could not mean much, as players who regularly purchase the BlackCell will most likely have already reached Prestige Master well before Season 6. Yet, given the controversy surrounding this topic, the decision doesn’t sit well with players.

Black Ops 6 XP controversy explained

Since Black Ops 6 brought back the classic Prestige system, there is extra motivation to level up to earn every reward and show off their rank. However, players noticed at launch that leveling took too long.

Treyarch responded by increasing XP earn rates in an update on November 4, which was just the start of this saga. In addition, Activision revealed they would boost XP gains in Warzone, but only for players who purchased BO6.

That decision ultimately didn’t ruffle too many feathers, but that wasn’t the end either. Next, players logged in on November 14 and discovered that BO6 added double XP tokens earned from previous titles, only for them to be removed as Activision said it was a mistake.

The controversial decision was labeled a slap in the face, and the development team reversed the decision after facing a wave of overwhelming negative feedback.

Finally, XP gain didn’t track correctly during the November 28 Double XP weapon weekend. Images circulated on social media of getting less XP than expected, and players called the event a “scam.”

Rewarding a BlackCell purchase doesn’t change much in the grand scheme of things, but more negativity is the last thing Activision needs on this topic.