Pay-to-Win

A game monetization model where paying real money provides tangible competitive advantages over non-paying players — such as stronger weapons, better stats, or exclusive abilities. Abbreviated as P2W. Pay-to-win is widely criticised as undermining fair competition in multiplayer games and is distinct from cosmetic-only monetization where purchases affect appearance but not gameplay. Mobile games frequently use P2W mechanics. Games like Diablo Immortal faced backlash for P2W elements despite being published by Blizzard.