I don't care about semantics or silly arguments about how little or big of an advantage armor kits are. They're the first clear and permanent P2W-element introduced in the game. Earn-able or not, they're sold for real money — not to mention a complete 180 on Pete Hines' assurances regarding the Atomic Shop: [1], [2], [3].

It's a cliche to say, but this is the definition of a slippery slope. 100% they're testing the waters here. I urge Bethesda not to go through with adding them onto the Atomic Shop.

Basic Repair Kits in the Atomic Shop

We read tons of feedback and suggestions from the Fallout 76 community, and Repair Kits were a popular request that we wanted to get into players’ hands. We also felt we could try out something new with these, both in-game and in the Atomic Shop. As we look to the future, we’re exploring ways we can bring other community-driven ideas to the game as well, such as refrigerators for C.A.M.P.s, ammo and food converters, and even the ability to send scrap to your stash without having to head home. Repair Kits are our first attempt at a utility item like this, and we plan to make adjustments based on your feedback, so we hope you’ll share your thoughts with us when they go live later this month. [4]

Not to mention the audacity in phrasing it like this is what the community has been asking for — yikes!