The Removal of BG Store items: Impact on Gameplay and Player Progression
Hey Summoners,
I wanted to raise a discussion about the ongoing issues caused by the removal of 5-star Hero Crystal Shards and Tier 4 Class Catalysts (T4CC) from the Battlegrounds Store. These changes have hit harder than I think anyone anticipated, and I wanted to outline the key problems they’ve caused—particularly for endgame players.
1. The ISO-8 Drought
One of the biggest problems right now is the severe ISO-8 shortage. Many of us relied on the steady flow of ISO from duplicating 5-star champions. Without 5-star shards in the store, obtaining these duplicates has become increasingly rare. This has left rosters harder to maintain and upgrade, especially during events that require rapid resource usage. My ISO stores have never been so empty, and I know I’m not alone.
2. Access to Catalysts Is Now a Grind
Ranking up champions—whether they’re 6-stars for top-tier content or even lower-star champions for events like arena grinding—has become far more difficult. T4CC were always needed for rank-ups, and their removal from the Battlegrounds Store has forced players into using alternative methods like:
• Spending Glory, which comes with incremental pricing (i.e., the more you buy, the more expensive it becomes).
• Spending Units, which feels outright punishing for items deemed “outdated” by Kabam.
We shouldn’t have to use nearly a third of our weekly Glory just to get outdated resources. Yet right now, that’s what many of us are forced to do.
3. Endgame Players Forced to Use Units
Kabam has said these resources are “no longer relevant” for Paragon or Valiant players. But that’s simply not true. Many of us still rely on 6-star champions as a core part of our roster. Ranking them from 1 to 2 or 2 to 3 requires T4CC—and with no easy way to acquire them, progression feels unnecessarily restricted.
The same applies to lower-star champions for things like arena grinding, where rank-ups help build up teams. It’s unfair that top-tier players are being forced to spend units to acquire resources that were previously plentiful.
4. Inconsistent Logic and Timing
The timing of these changes is also frustrating. Kabam has been incentivizing players to push for higher progression levels (Thronebreaker and Paragon), especially during the Chronoversary side quest with its 10 free 7-star champions and other rewards. Many players pushed hard to reach these milestones, only to be penalized by having essential resources taken away.
Additionally, Kabam’s justification for these changes seems outdated. They’ve cited data showing that the removed items weren’t purchased frequently—but that data likely predates recent updates and side quests that have shifted player needs.
Proposed Solutions
I’m not just here to vent; I want to propose some solutions to address these issues:
• Bring Back 5-Star Shards and T4CC to the Battlegrounds Store or make them easily accessible elsewhere.
• If Kabam insists on removing these items permanently, increase Glory rewards or provide new, cost-effective methods to obtain these resources.
• Acknowledge the importance of ISO and T4CC to players at all levels—especially during content that demands frequent rank-ups and leveling.
These changes have created a resource bottleneck that’s frustrating and unnecessary. Endgame players shouldn’t have to spend real money or grind excessively for what was once readily available. If you’re feeling the effects of these changes too, let’s discuss below—maybe Kabam will take notice if enough of us speak out.
What do you all think?
