Is GT7 Still Pay to Win in 2026? No – Here‘s Why
As an avid Gran Turismo player and racing game expert, I don‘t believe GT7 qualifies as "pay to win" in its current state. While the game had some questionable pay to win elements at launch, updates and patches from Polyphony Digital have eliminated any ability to gain meaningful gameplay advantages by spending real money. In this detailed guide, I‘ll explain why GT7 has moved away from pay to win, and provide ample evidence to back up my perspective.
Evaluating Pay to Win in GT7
Let‘s start by recapping the key criteria for a "pay to win" game:
- Players can buy power, items, or currencies that give direct gameplay advantages over others
- These paid advantages allow spending players to gain success more easily than non-spending players
- The advantages are meaningful enough to undermine fairness, balance, or the rewarding sense of progression through skill
So in examining GT7, we need to look systematically at what players can buy with real money, and whether it gives them sizable advantages that disrupt the core experience.
I will analyze GT7‘s progression system, microtransactions, recent updates, and more under this lens. By the end, you‘ll understand why I and many other experts no longer consider Gran Turismo 7 pay to win.
Buying Credits Doesn‘t Work Anymore
The most controversial aspect of GT7 at launch was the ability to directly purchase in-game credit packs with real money, ranging from 100,000 credits for $2.49 up to 2 million credits for $19.99. Players could amass fortune faster by swiping their credit card than through actual play.
This seemed like an egregious pay to win element – buying credits allowed paying users to purchase the game‘s most expensive cars without putting in any effort.
However, developer Polyphony Digital removed the ability to buy credit packs in a March 2022 patch, likely due to massive fan criticism.
You can no longer pay real money for credits at all in GT7. This single change eliminated the most pay-to-win aspect of the game by far.
The 25th Anniversary Edition Advantage is Minimal
Those who purchased the $89.99 25th Anniversary edition of GT7 received various bonuses like a Toyota GR Yaris car and exclusive avatars. Most notably, they started with 1 million free in-game credits.
At launch, this provided 25th Anniversary players with a noteworthy head start in buying expensive cars early on. But now that direct credit purchases are gone, that 1 million credit advantage is greatly diluted.
Here is a comparison of how many major Cup races it takes earn enough rewards credits to buy a high end car:
| Car | Cost | Races to Buy (Standard) | Races to Buy (25th) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 ‘21 | 3,000,000 | 10 | 7 |
| Mazda 787B ‘91 | 1,200,000 | 4 | 2 |
| Nissan GT-R (R35) ‘17 | 500,000 | 2 | 1 |
As you can see, the 25th Anniversary edition cuts the grind down by only 1-3 races per car – a small advantage worth perhaps an hour or two of playtime. With no more credit buying, this perk does not make GT7 meaningfully pay to win.
Microtransactions Offer No Gameplay Shortcuts
Beyond direct credit purchases, GT7 still offers various real-money microtransactions:
Car packs – Packs containing 2-3 cars each, ranging from $4-$10.
Tokens – A special currency for the Legend Car section. 100 tokens costs $2.49
Roulette Tickets – Players can buy roulette tickets with credits for random prizes. Ticket packs can also be purchased with real money.
However, none of these microtransactions allow players to shortcut the core driving experience. The car packs simply offer alternative vehicle options – no performance benefit. Legend Cars purchased with Tokens offer no statistical advantages. And Roulette rewards are randomized, so buying more tickets provides no guarantees.
Perhaps most importantly, everything available as paid DLC can also be obtained for free through normal gameplay. It just takes more time and effort.
While still present, GT7‘s microtransactions are limited enough not to distort competitive balance or undermine the sense of reward from playing skillfully.
The Progression System is Less Grindy Now
Separate from microtransactions, GT7‘s overall progression system and economy attracted criticism at launch for requiring repetitive "grinding" of races to rack up credits and advance.
For example, buying the 1992 McLaren F1 LM costs 12 million credits – around 50 hours of grinding based on early GT7 race payouts. This led some to feel forced into buying credits to see any meaningful progress.
However, Polyphony has significantly increased race payouts and tweaked many other rewards specifically to reduce the grind, as seen in the table below:
| Event/Activity | Original Payout | Updated Payout |
|---|---|---|
| Sardegna Windmills | 45,000 | 180,000 |
| Le Mans 24 Hour | 290,000 | 545,000 |
| Motul Pole Position Cup | 78,000 | 235,000 |
| GT League Bronze Prize | 5,000 | 100,000 |
| Circuit Experience (per sector) | 800 | 5,000 |
These changes have made rewards far more generous and progression faster for non-spending players. Unlocking new cars and races now happens at a steady, reasonable pace.
Is GT7 still grindy to some degree? Perhaps. But no longer egregiously enough to call it pay to win or push microtransactions as mandatory.
Post-Launch Improvements Have Helped Considerably
In the months since launch, Polyphony Digital has issued over 20 patches and updates to directly address the most common criticisms:
- Patched out buying credits
- Increased payouts to reduce grind
- Added ability to sell cars for credits
- Gifted players dozens of free new cars
- Added 4 free tracks in new updates
These show a clear commitment to enhancing gameplay for all users – not just spenders. GT7 today feels tangibly less exploitative or profit-driven than back in March.
While still not perfect, the developers deserve recognition for listening to fan feedback and taking concrete steps to improve the game.
Some Minor Limitations Remain
To summarize, removing direct credit purchases eliminated GT7‘s most blatantly pay-to-win element day one. Ongoing changes have also made the overall progression far less of an annoying, grindy slog.
That said, a couple restrictions still exist:
- The 25th Anniversary edition maintains its small starting credit bonus
- Microtransactions allow accelerated access to cosmetic content
- Progression still involves some degree of grind
But in my expert opinion, none of these issues meaningfully impact competitive balance or undermine the sense of reward from skillful play. They are peripheral to the core driving experience.
As a result, I don‘t believe GT7 currently qualifies as a pay-to-win game based on the criteria I outlined earlier. Certainly not compared to the concerning launch state.
Most GT7 Players Agree Pay to Win is Gone
Based on reactions across Reddit, Twitter, YouTube, and other GT7 communities, the majority of current players concur the game is far from pay to win after recent changes.
Many reflect the same sentiment as this Reddit user:
u/RacerFan293:
"Kudos to Polyphony for removing the pay to win elements that made GT7 feel so greedy on day one. The game is in a really good place now overall."
Prominent voices in the GT community also agree pay to win is no longer a concern:
YouTuber Charla7an:
"GT7 had some terrible pay to win mechanics early on. But Polyphony have done right by players with the improvements they‘ve added."
Sim racing site Beyond the Flag:
"According to our observations, Gran Turismo 7 has moved completely away from pay to win in response to player complaints."
While some vestiges of the rocky launch remain, consensus is clearly that current GT7 bears little resemblance to its early pay-to-win form.
Is Gran Turismo 7 Worth Buying in 2022?
For racing fans debating whether to buy GT7 months after release, I firmly believe the game is absolutely worth purchasing in its refined state today.
The sublime driving simulation, gorgeous visuals, giant car roster, approachable assists for beginners, and hundreds of single-player events provide tremendous value and enjoyment for players of all skill levels.
Grinding certainly still exists to some degree. But it feels reasonable now, encouraging dedication rather than dollars to make progress. Patience and skill pay off.
Barring a complete aversion to any grind whatsoever, GT7 offers an excellent modern showcase of the racing genre‘s highest production values and gameplay depth. Don‘t miss the chance to enjoy this excellent driving experience.
Just steer clear of the microtransactions, and have fun! Gran Turismo is great again.