An image of ANTHEM's microtransaction store has surfaced on Reddit, prompting more than a few raised eyebrows. At first glance the pricing seems extortionate, with various cosmetic items going for around $20 a pop. Shards are the game's premium currency, and based on what we know, 100 shards is roughly $1. The picture shows Javelin paint jobs for 2000 shards each.

This is the same kind of pricing that you'll find in various free-to-play titles like Fortnite, and, er, full price titles like Fallout 76, but we don't talk about that one anymore. Needless to say, the seemingly steep pricing has already got people riled up.

However, BioWare's Chris Schmidt was on hand to shed some light on the situation, stating that "these [prices] don't represent final, stamped for all of eternity pricing. We are iterating on our economy design and balance almost daily, so you're seeing a snapshot of one iteration. This is why we tend to not discuss things like pricing, because it's one of those iterative things that's sure to change frequently right up until the day you play the game." In other words, the pricing on show in the screenshot isn't final.

It's also worth noting that previously, BioWare has said that no items will be locked exclusively behind the shards currency. Everything can also be bought with coin, another currency that can be earned through playing the game. Of course, we don't know how long you'll have to grind in order to get a good amount of coin, but that's a question that can only be answered once ANTHEM is out.