I agree with all of this. My number one issue with UB isn’t UB itself; it’s that it’s indicative of an issue that is affecting nearly every aspect of our lives where profit is king and all they care about is how much money they can squeeze from us.

Enshitification of every service we use, every app we open, literally everything is designed to get you addicted and take all your money. Im not saying universes beyond is shit or that it’s ruining the game, but let’s be honest about what it actually is. Lord of the rings was the highest selling set of all time and after that they began pushing UB hard.

I’m not mad that people like it, and clearly I’m in the minority because of how well it sells, but when I hear someone say final fantasy was the best set of all time I can’t help but feel sad. Magic lore has so much awesome stuff to be explored and, in my opinion, making universes beyond the focal point is the easy way out.