BR1 Infinite, a new PC-exclusive extraction shooter developed by Bravo Ready Studios, is reportedly implementing a system that pays players for each in-game kill. This controversial monetization strategy has raised concerns about potential gambling, cheating, and the overall legitimacy of the game's economy. The game, which bills itself as the first real-money extraction shooter, is said to offer players $10 per hour played and $1 for every kill.
However, participating in a match incurs a real-world cost of $1 per spawn, meaning a series of unsuccessful runs could lead to financial losses. Bravo Ready Studios, with reported ties to the gambling and consumer tech industries, is backed by investors including PUBG publisher Krafton and Solana Ventures. Access to BR1 Infinite is currently invite-only and limited to PC users.
The core gameplay loop reportedly involves maintaining a positive kill-death ratio, collecting cash drops through looting and extraction, and trading in-game items like operatives and skins. The development team claims to have already paid out over $100,000 to testers, who may have received free spawns as part of their arrangement. While the game has attracted a significant following, with 40,000 players reportedly joining its Discord server, critics point to potential issues beyond monetary concerns.
A significant worry is the game's open invitation to cheating, boosting, and exploits, especially within what are described as relatively basic shooter mechanics. Players currently control droids or apes across simple maps in pursuit of monetary rewards. Furthermore, there appear to be no robust age verification or gating systems in place, which is particularly concerning given the game's pay-to-win-like mechanics and potential to attract underage players to a real-money gambling environment.