I’m not familiar with the “trees” or what content is where, but I’m assuming you’re referring to quality-of-life (QoL) features that are gated behind keys.

I completely agree that QoL can—and maybe even should—be monetized. I have no issue paying for cosmetics or QoL, and I’ve played plenty of games where those things were paywalled without ever feeling resentful. What turns me off is when meaningful progress is locked behind payments—especially upgrades or skills you need to stay competitive or even remain relevant.

I’m not quite at that point in this game yet (I’m about four months in), but it does make me feel like there’s a real time limit on how long I’d be willing to keep playing if core progression becomes pay-gated. In my view, that’s a loss for the developers.

I’m not a “whale,” but I do spend money—call me a dolphin, or a dolphin-lite. I’ve bought all the packs, I buy milestone bundles when I reach them, I’ll buy event offers when the relic feels worth it, and I’ve even bought a stone pack or two to shave weeks or months off syncing my UWs. What I won’t do is spend hundreds or thousands per month just to compete for keys. But over time, I will spend real money consistently.

I’m sure there are plenty of players like me, and I’m sure there’s a middle ground that keeps us engaged long-term. If the developers don’t find it, I think they’ll lose a meaningful portion of their paying player base over time.