“Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain” will hit shelves on Sept. 1 in both North America and Europe. Early reports state that the competitive multiplayer mode, dubbed Forward Operating Base, or FOB, will be locked behind a microtransaction paywall. However, Konami recently confirmed that the multiplayer will be unlocked upon buying the game.

In a report by Gamespot, Konami confirmed that in order to access FOB, players must first purchase territorial waters before they can play multiplayer. The developer added that the FOB mode will be part of the initial game and that players will not have to pay for the multiplayer feature. It added that microtransactions will be used to act as an accelerator to the game.

Konami promised that it will reveal more details on FOB and microtransactions at the initial launch. Konami producer Kenichiro Imaizumi added that the in-game currency for FOB, MB Coins, can be earned in other ways aside from paying actual money.

Within the game, players can acquire various resources throughout the open-world. These resources can be used to facilitate and upgrade the off-shore base to be used in FOB. In the multiplayer mode, players attack each other’s bases, so they should be keen on gathering resources.

Players should not confuse the FOB player versus player mode with “Metal Gear Online” as they are two entirely different multiplayer modes. The latter is a more expansive multiplayer mode for the game, but Konami is yet to differentiate the two from each other. Konami added that “Metal Gear Online” will be available at launch, while the competitive multiplayer mode FOB will arrive on consoles on Oct. 6 and in early 2016 for the PC.

The developer stated the “Metal Gear Online” will not cost players any extra cash. For now, the only detail known about the mode is that it will have a class system and that some characters like Venom Snake and Ocelot will appear throughout the mode.

The game is already making news as many websites have reviewed the game and gave it a perfect score. These websites include Gamespot, The Daily Dot, Examiner and IGN. Many of the reviewers praise the expansive open-world gameplay and the vast options players could take during missions.

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