Dome
As one of the top 5 managers in Germany and league leader of Racing Deluxe, I am very disappointed with this pay-to-win update. I am being stripped of my league rights and the ability to change settings, only to be able to get them back by paying real money to boost the league… On top of that, there are all the bugs in the game. My community, which I have rebuilt into a full league, is extremely disappointed and most of them now want to quit. I am personally so angry about this, as all my efforts over nearly two years—taking the league from almost inactive players to now—have been wasted. I understand the developers’ good intentions to modernize the game, but chasing this pay-to-win hype displeases everyone. IGP had long been spared from this, which is why there was such a loyal community—one that is now being driven away.
First of all, I want to acknowledge the work you’ve put into Racing Deluxe. Taking a league from near inactivity to a full, competitive community over two years is not nothing, and I completely understand why this feels personal. The frustration around bugs on top of a major systems change is also fair, and stabilising those issues is a priority.
On the “pay-to-win” point specifically, I think there may be some crossed wires, possibly even down to language. Nothing about the new system allows someone to buy on-track performance, faster cars, or guaranteed results. Racing daily versus not racing daily, or changing league rules, does not in itself create an advantage over other managers within that league. In this update, we've significantly closed the performance gap between all levels, reducing the impacts of any paying mechanics that give performance advantages significantly. E.g. everyone uses the same 1-100% level scale now. We've also been able to make some cosmetic items free in exchange, like changing team colours and logos, which used to cost Tokens.
The shift here is from an unsustainable model to one that can actually support the level of customisation the community has asked for over the years. Previously, every extra option, rule, or exception was effectively being subsidised by us. Small, tightly run leagues were understandably happy, but the cost of supporting that level of flexibility was being absorbed entirely on our side, in the form of a fragmented, disjointed and ultimately disconnected community.
This change is not about chasing trends or hype. It’s about making sure iGP can exist long term, continue to be developed, and still offer deep gameplay, focusing on what you want to see added. I know that doesn’t remove the sting right now, and I don’t expect this explanation to instantly make everything feel fine. But I do want you to know that this wasn’t done lightly, and it certainly wasn’t done without considering league leaders like you. That's why we opted for the "boost" model to lighten the burden as much as possible on league hosts.
We're going to be focusing all our energies on adding more league hosting options to give you the tools you need, and we can justify doing that now. It's a symbiotic relationship, where the more value we add, the more value we receive, instead of the more value we add, the more the community evaporates into fragmented tiny pockets.
Your feedback is heard, and the current backlash is part of what will shape the refinements that come next. The foundation has changed, but the goal remains the same: a game where committed managers and strong communities still matter.
CEO & CTO
