Extraction shooter BR1 Infinite is paying players for every in-game kill, drawing concerns about gambling and cheating

The extraction shooter BR1 Infinite has ignited controversy by paying players $10 (£7.41) per hour and $1 (75p) for every in-game kill. However, this "pay-to-play" model comes with a catch: players must spend $1 of their real-world money to spawn into each match. This could potentially lead to financial losses if a player experiences a losing streak.

Developed by Bravo Ready Studios, a company with a history tied to gambling and consumer technology, BR1 Infinite is backed by various investors including PUBG publisher Krafton, Solana Ventures, and 6MV. The game is invite-only and PC-exclusive, with limited spots advertised per post. To maintain a positive kill-to-death ratio, looting, extracting cash drops, and trading operatives or skins are key to monetizing gameplay.

The team claims to have disbursed over $100,000 in rewards to testers so far, who receive free spawns as part of their participation. Despite concerns about the legitimacy and safety of this monetization system, the game has attracted 40,000 players on Discord. Moreover, there appears to be no age gate or verification process to prevent underage players from participating in a game with potentially exploitative mechanics.

Interestingly, the company's presence on social media stretches back to 2011, with multiple name changes, suggesting a long-standing relationship with the gaming industry.