Middle-earth: Shadow of War has the potential to be one of the season’s biggest hits when it launches this October, and that could be very good for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’s bottom line. The game could do an even better job of generating revenue, though, if players are sufficiently eager to support the microtransactions system the developers at Monolith Productions have baked into it.

In an official announcement, WBIE introduced an in-game store called “the Market,” which allows players to purchase a variety of loot and boosts using Gold or Mirian.

The Market lets players purchase Loot Chests, War Chests, XP Boosts, and Bundles. Loot chests contain weapons and armor, as well as XP Boosts so players can level up Talion more quickly. War Chests produce Orc followers of varying rarity, as well as Training Orders that facilitate level-ups and customization. Bundles package the various components together, “at a great value.”

Mirian is acquired exclusively by performing in-game actions, such as defeating Treasure Orcs, finding it in stashes, or by destroying various types of gear and Orc followers. Higher level Loot Chests, War Chests, Boosts and Bundles are available only by purchasing them with Gold, which appears to be most easily acquired by using real money to purchase the currency on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, or with Steam Wallet funds. Happily, gold is also available “in small amounts” at specific points in the campaign, and as a reward for participating in community challenges.

“Gold does not give you any advantage over players,” the developer explains. “A player who invests enough time can progress the same amount and have access to the same content as a player who purchases Gold. Gold is not required to progress or advance in the game at all.”

Even so, consumers may be reluctant to spend money on such microtransactions, or indeed, even to buy the game in the first place. The developer was careful to explain just when it means when it says Gold gives players the option to acquire items more quickly.

“Gold merely allows you to get your hands on them immediately,” explained the notice, “cutting down some of the additional time that would have been spent winning more battles, tracking nemeses, completing quests and assaulting fortresses.”

In other words, if you find Middle-earth: Shadow of War is excessively tedious and you don’t much care for playing it, you can spend additional money to improve the experience. If you’re more patient with the grind, you could also save yourself a bundle. If nothing else, that’s food for thought as the game’s release date draws nigh.