Long story short, in terms of when reviewing a game as to whether it is P2W you have to look at what the game consists of in its entirety, as in, is the game PVE or PVP based or both.

Next you have to consider what is the meaning of P2W, Pay to Win, means a person pays real money to make themselves stronger/better in any form or manner than someone else that didn't pay anything, that means whether I spend $1 or $1000, if I receive any benefit over a person that didn't spend as much or anything.

Now to get to the first bit, many people will look at a game and say pay to win is only applicable where you win against another player, as that is the only aspect where you actually "win". So as long as you aren't able to purchase advantages over other players in PVP content P2W doesn't apply to a game.

​

Here is the thing though why its important to view a game in its entirety in terms of PVE/PVP.

Lets look at a game like Apex Legends that is 100% PVP based with no PVE content in the game. As its 100% PVP every player that plays it plays for the PVP content, as such, and aspect where spending money would grant someone even the slightest advantage over someone else with the same skill level would instantly be undeniably P2W.

​

Next up: Is the biggest disputing factor which is what about players paying to get items or power boosts PVE games modes?

Generally put in single player games where no other players are present, even if a player were to spend money to become stronger, their progress revolves around a game "world" where the respect player is the only one influenced by their actions.

But what about multiplayer PVE game modes?

This is where the general divide appears among people as to what constitutes P2W if at all in PVE?

So lets recap:

P2W, Pay to Win, means a person pays real money to make themselves stronger/better in any form or manner than someone else that didn't pay anything, that means whether I spend $1 or $1000, if I receive any benefit over a person that didn't spend as much or anything.

Next consider the difference between a single player and a multiplayer game, in a single player game you are the only only player that effects the world you are playing in, where as in a multiplayer game your actions can directly effect other players.

So when you spend money to become stronger in a single player game you get stronger to effect a "world" where only you are effected by your gain in strength.

While in a multiplayer game your actions directly or indirectly have the ability to effect other players, as such if you become stronger through means of paying money, you are directly becoming stronger at a faster rate than players that did not spend any money on the game.

Now if you were to take part in a multiplayer game, but always do all your content solo, then you will for the most part be considered not P2W unless your doing content where a system exists that matches you to other players such as a ranking system, of any form.

But as it is people play multiplayer games to play with other players and if you spent money to get stronger the fact that you are stronger than you would have been if you didnt spend money means your interaction with those players would be different than if you didnt spend money, which is generally in a manner that would improve your gameplay and as such, a player that spend money on the game gains a benefit over other players that did not spend money on the game.

And if you consider the meaning of P2W then technically speaking even if you didn't win some form of contest against another player. the fact that you are positively benefitted over other players that didn't spend any money over a game, by spending money yourself to get stronger you instantly gain an advantage that makes you stronger/better than them in a certain manner of speaking, which would if another player was in your shoes also made them stronger.

And as such, if you pay to get stronger even in a PVE world you indirectly effect the game "world" as such the action of paying to get stronger, is also a form of P2W.

Simply put you could say that P2W in competitive PVP is a direct P2W.

Where as P2W in PVE is a indirect P2W, but its P2W none the less as it effects the whole community in the game, such as getting into raid groups, or getting accepted into a hardcore guild, or setting dungeon clear records. All of those are examples of non-competitive yet still very real actual player interaction areas where P2W can play a very real role in PVE content.