The grind is real.
This is true for gaming, at least, where today’s gamers are playing on an almost daily basis in pursuit of rewards. It’s one endless dopamine chase. That’s the best way to put it. And it’s shaping the entire industry, too, as getting players obsessed with rewards rather than actual gameplay is now the main focus of developers.
Think about it: almost every game you play today has some form of reward system, right? Whether it’s a battle pass, loot boxes, or daily login bonuses, there’s usually at least one non-gameplay perk that keeps you coming back. It’s all by design.
60% of Top-Grossing Mobile Games Feature a Battle Pass
Battle passes are everywhere. Yep, they’ve taken over gaming ever since Fortnite popularized the “Battle Pass” system back in 2017. Fortnite’s huge success has now created a permanent trend, with GameRefinery finding that 60% of the top-grossing mobile games on iOS and Android feature a battle pass.
Apex Legends. Call of Duty. Overwatch. Clash of Clans. PUBG: Battlegrounds. Every one of these games has a battle pass. Plus, we’re barely even scratching the surface. That’s what you call Fortnite influence.
The way that most battle passes work is like this:
➜ Complete in-game challenges ➜ Progress through the different battle pass tiers ➜ Start to unlock rewards like skins, weapons, and emotes
What’s interesting is that battle passes are usually time-limited. For example, Fortnite’s battle passes usually only last around 10 weeks. This means you need to put in a lot of time to unlock all the rewards — otherwise, they’re gone for good (and they’re not coming back).
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize this is done on purpose. The developers behind the games and battle passes want you to “lock in” and grind until you get all these rewards. Unsurprisingly, gamers are happy to do it, too, with Statista finding that 21% of US adults are spending up to 10 hours a week playing video games.
In a nutshell, battle passes aren’t just a money-maker — they’re also an engagement driver, too.
Social Casinos Have Hooked 200 Million Players — With Rewards That Keep Them Playing
Social casinos, especially the new operators on SweepsKings, are another huge force behind the rise of people chasing in-game rewards. Let’s break them down for you.
The aim in every social casino is to collect as many ‘sweeps coins’ as possible. You don’t bet real money. Instead, all you need to do is collect these virtual coins and eventually redeem them for real-world prizes. We’re talking cash transfers, gift cards, and even cryptocurrencies.
Simply put, players are hooked, and it’s now believed social casinos have reached 200 million users worldwide. Why? Well, it’s because of the rewards-based system they use.
This has even started a trend where non-gamblers and casual gamers are signing up with social casinos just so that they can grind, collect sweeps, and redeem prizes. They don’t even like casino games — they just want to win.
And with the likes of Drake and Paris Hilton currently promoting Stake.us and WOW Vegas (two of the biggest social casino sites) this trend is only going to get bigger.
“Pay-to-Win” and Why Some Players Are Choosing to Buy Rewards
What’s crazy is that you don’t even have to grind for rewards in some cases anymore.
A growing number of games are now letting players avoid having to play for hours on end by simply purchasing rewards instead. This is done through “microtransactions”.
📱According to Statista, 17% of mobile gamers have spent over $100 on in-app game purchases over the past year
For example, there might be a weapon skin that you really want in an FPS game. Rather than play that game for hours to eventually unlock the skin, you can just purchase it for a set price, such as $10. It ultimately saves time and makes life easier, but some gamers are adamantly against doing this. You generally fall into one of two camps: grind your way through the game — or just pay up. Either way, it’s a win-win for the game developers, which is why they’ve implemented this system in the first place.
Why Players Love the “Grind” of Earning Rewards
Back in the old days, you’d pick a video game, play it for an hour, and then be done for the day. It was all about the gameplay and nothing else. But everything has changed now because of in-game rewards.
Instead of playing video games for the thrill of the gameplay, people are firing up their consoles and mobiles in pursuit of rewards.
There are many reasons for this, including the huge dopamine hits that come from putting hours into a game before finally being rewarded for it. Then, of course, there are elements like unlocking rare items, climbing leaderboards, and having bragging rights over other players. The list is endless.
It’s clear that gaming culture has entirely shifted towards rewards and microtransactions over actual gameplay. Sure, there are still some players out there who just want to have fun — nothing more. But the vast majority of today’s gamers are at least somewhat motivated by the prospect of chasing in-game rewards, especially if these rewards are challenging to get.
Conclusion: Is the “Grind” Good for Gaming?
The grind culture we see in gaming can be a good thing — but only when it’s done right and in a way that doesn’t exploit players.
Affordable battle passes are a great example of this, as well as social casinos that allow players to win huge real-life rewards by putting time and effort into the available games.
As long as the wider industry can avoid the trap of pushing players too far and shifting away from providing good gameplay — which is ultimately what matters the most — then it will be interesting to see how “battle pass” and reward models continue to develop over the coming years.
This is especially true with Grand Theft Auto 6 set to drop soon. That game will no doubt be packed with in-game rewards and plenty of grind-heavy achievements, so we’ll have to wait and see what Rockstar has cooked up. Whatever it is, you can expect new in-game reward trends to emerge in the aftermath, much like what happened with Fortnite back in 2017.
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