Former Blizzard Entertainment and Xbox executive Mike Ybarra has opined that players should be able to tip game devs. Ybarra, who was reportedly ousted from Blizzard following Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard, has been catching up on his backlog of games during his downtime. Having played what he calls “bangers,” Ybarra says he wants to be able to tip devs.
Game devs behind titles like Horizon Zero Dawn and God of War should be tipped, says Mike Ybarra
Ybarra took to X to share his thoughts on the matter, acknowledging that the idea of tipping devs might not go down well with some. However, he maintains that this scenario is different because players won’t be expected to tip — it’s just something they would be able to do if they feel like the devs deserve it.
“When I beat a game, there are some that just leave me in awe of how amazing the experience was,” Ybarra explained. “At the end of the game, I’ve often thought, ‘I wish I could give these folks another $10 or $20 because it was worth more than my initial $70 and they didn’t try to nickel and dime me every second.'”
Ybarra added that he felt this way after playing games like Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Elden Ring.
Many pointed out to Ybarra that instead of tipping devs, he can gift copies of games that he likes.
