The Grind vs The Shortcut: Earning Your Dream Skins in Marvel Rivals
We’ve all been there, deep into a match of Marvel Rivals, when suddenly an opponent defeats you while wearing your dream skin. That sleek suit you’ve had your eye on for weeks. In that moment, you’re no longer thinking about what they did, but how they got it.
There are so many incredible skins to unlock in the game that every player finds themselves facing the same crossroads. Do you just invest real money into the game to buy that skin, even though it gives you no real edge in gameplay? Or do you tough it out, put in the long hours and grind it out? In other words, do you want to earn the skin or just be given it?
On the surface, it seems like an easy question, but what does the avenue of progression a player chooses say about him or her?
Two Currencies, One Goal
Like many games, Marvel Rivals operates on a dual-currency system. Units are in-game currency earned through gameplay. Hard-fought tokens that come from completing objectives, joining time-limited events, and moving through the battle pass tiers. Lattices are bought with credits at a straightforward 1:1 ratio of dollars to lattices.
Both currencies can be used in-game to purchase the same items. This ensures a degree of fairness, especially as nothing purchased can be used for a competitive advantage. However, earning skins with Units takes longer and requires greater time investment and game mastery. This also means that the game gives the user complete control over how they play and which currency route they will use at any point.
The Grind: Earning Through Dedication
Seeing a legendary skin with a 1,600 Unit price tag is not an easy sight for those who play the grind. Earning enough Units to unlock that one skin is going to take time and dedication. Players are looking at between 80 and 100 matches to earn that level of currency. That’s also assuming the daily missions are also done. The battle pass also offers regular Unit rewards. For those really dedicated to the grind, special time-limited events can reward as much as 300 Units, especially around and during holidays.
Even with all of this, it will take weeks of effort to earn enough Units to get that skin, but you also gain the satisfaction of knowing you earned it. You fought and clawed your way to that reward and deserve to wear the skin as a badge of honour. Not to mention, all that hard work has probably made you a better player.
The Shortcut: Instant Access Through Lattice
The Lattice path cuts through the waiting and hands you the skin, no questions asked, without having to invest countless hours into playing the game. If you really wanted that skin, it would cost you around $16. An instant result instead of weeks of dedicated gameplay.
For players who do not have the time or patience to invest in the full grind, using Lattices to get those legendary skins might be their only chance of getting them. There are also those gamers who enjoy playing the game but want to use skins as a show of status, and so always buy the newest ones the minute they drop.
You don’t get the same sense of achievement when you use Lattices. However, you are showing more support to the dev team and helping fund the necessary budgets to keep the game expanding.
For players juggling work, family lives, and most likely other games and hobbies, buying the odd skin with Lattices is a great way to keep them playing and engaged with the game. This keeps the player pool deep and strong and therefore keeps the game competitive.
Payment Technology Makes It Easy
For those looking to use Lattices, whether it’s for every skin or just that sleek Spiderman one that you’ve loved since it first appeared in the comics when you were a kid, digital payments are a safe and secure way to go about it.
Apple Pay has been pivotal in streamlining digital payments across all entertainment niches, including supporting in-game currency purchases and quick deposits on platforms like Casinos.com. Using digital payment services removes a lot of the friction from online banking while also offering more robust security backed by passwords and biometric data.
Choose Your Own Adventure
There is nothing inherently wrong with either approach. You could grind every day, buy your way to the best skins, or take a hybrid approach. One approach develops player skills; the other supports the game studio and the continued investment in the game.
There are a lot of considerations when it comes to playing any game that offers in-app purchases. Selecting one over the other does not suggest you are a better or worse player for doing so.
The truly important thing is that players are still playing and enjoying the game. The more people play, the more the studio will be motivated to keep new content coming, which is a win-win for everybody. Because the more content, the more chances you have to show off that coveted new skin no matter how you acquired it.