Stuffed full of brands and tie-in skins, shooters are getting harder to look at
There’s an epidemic of ugliness in multiplayer shooters, and its cause goes by many names. Skin. Bundle. Drop. Outfit. Coating. Or the most generic: cosmetic. Unassuming at first and quiet by nature, Cosmetic Uglification is a viral affliction infecting the best shooters of our time. When left unchecked, all semblance of aesthetic cohesion is sacrificed at the altar of individual expression, exclusivity and FOMO. Every shooter I love is becoming visual ooze before my very eyes.
Signs of cosmetic uglification are everywhere: in spec ops soldiers trading tactical vests for diamond-laced streetwear, elite operators wearing Lara Croft cosplay, commandos going loud in pyjamas. As seasons rage on, live service games garner years of stylistic baggage unique to our post-Fortnite world. It’s become normal to watch shooters that once flaunted a style of their own be infiltrated by garish outfits and pop culture guest stars. Throw in enough Mortys and Santa outfits and even the strongest art direction becomes mush. The very items that can drive us to play longer can also erode their appeal.
I recently had a moment of clarity in Call of Duty while being brutally executed by Diablo IV’s Lilith holding an AK-47: cosmetic uglification never happens all at once, but the cycle always begins at launch, and it can take over before you realise it’s there.
THE PATTERN
There’s no better time to enjoy a shooter’s style than when it first comes out and a full party of operators actually look like characters in the same world. We really don’t give default outfits enough credit. Yes, they’re basic, but they’re often among the most detailed, iconic and well-crafted forms our heroes can take. That’s no surprise since it’s how the characters were originally conceived – outfits that prevailed through months or years of concepting and discussion. They’re way more special than their ‘common’ rarity tag implies, but it’s hard to resist switching things up when a battle pass comes along or new store items drop that promise you can look different to everyone else.
In the early days of a shooter, player fashion is in line with the game’s style even if you splash some cash. Immediately available cosmetics are often charms, gun skins, or simple colour variations on default outfits. But give developers enough time, and the silly skins start to arrive. It’s becoming normal for me to return to a shooter after a year and smack face-first into sensory whiplash as a once visually coherent game has become a clown show.
The trend is most noticeable in Call of Duty, where operator bundles sporting glowing jackets, pumpkin heads and exploding kill effects live alongside $20 packs that let you become actual celebrities like 21 Savage and Nicki Minaj. In December 2022, the final prize on
