It was widely believed that it would offer a premium currency, paid cosmetics, and a battle pass, and it has all that plus more D2R Items. However, what was not as clear and also what Blizzard hasn't made clear what a significant part money plays when it is used to advance your character's endgame and the advantage in doing so over the other players.
At the root of the issue is Legendary Crests and Legendary Gems. The truth is, the Legendary Gems of different types are alike. Some are very unique and powerful. These 5-Star Legendary Gems are much higher than 1- or 2-Star Legendary Gems and provide more powerful effects, but also better stats in shape of higher Resonance, a stat which boosts the longevity and damage value of the items.
As a player, you want to play as many of these potent gems, as well as maximum Resonance possible. It is also important to upgrade them as often as possible to further increase the power of your gems. Gems are upgraded through salvaging unneeded Legendary Gems, and higher level gems don't just need scraps of scraps from unneeded gems but also require a large number different gems of the exact type they can be improved.
The problem is that getting the highly sought-after and strong gems is possible only via Legendary Crests. They are a premium item that can be purchased for real money and guarantee an Legendary Gem of a certain form will be dropped when used together with the game's Elder Rifts. Legendary Crests are also accompanied by one chance, roughly 5%, to drop the 5-Star Legendary Gem.
If you're a free-to-play playeror someone who buys the battle pass and a few one-time bundles, you'll be left with only a few Legendary Crests at the time you've reached the end of the game cheap D2R ladder items. To earn more it is necessary to invest more money. In contrast, players who are free to play have to use Rare Crests that don't have any chance of getting a legendary gem with five stars.
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