Yup, there is only one solution to end microtransactions. Don't spend any money on the games that have it. If it is free to play, go ahead and play it, as long as you don't spend any money.
It seems like a lot of gamers spend money on microtransactions. Take a look at League Of Legends that has generated billions and billions of dollars from microtransactions. My advice is to skip a game if it requires that to be interesting to play but I don't expect anyone to take that advice any more than take the advice to not pre-order games. Hell, Cyberpunk 2077 got 8 million pre-orders and only 30,000 of those gamers requested a refund.
It really is the simple idea of 'You get what you pay for'.
If you pay for F2P MTX infested crap, you will get more F2P MTX infested crap.
We collectively killed pay to win, in most 'regular' gaming already.
We won't kill it on smartphones because the target market is way too diverse, but for the real gamers: we have a pretty single-minded community, even if we manage to discuss just about every comma. Gamers want fun games, its really that simple, and games riddled with MTX every step of the way, in an intrusive or game-altering way, are always going to meet the problem that they impede on fun. Or: the fun won't last: it is disguised as a psychological trick and not as good gameplay. The psychology of 'preference/reference drift', for example, or that of timed/gated content. Its as simple as the key you collect to open a chest. If that key is not obtainable with decent gameplay, the game is not fun. You're just chasing the carrot. You're a donkey. And eventually, you'll figure that out.
I wouldn't personally worry too much. There are more and more F2P games with MTX that are presented and work fantastically: DOTA 2. Apex Legends. You get the full suite of gameplay. You buy cosmetics. If that is capable of funding games of this calibre, I'm all for it, really. I'll take that business model ANY DAY over the current wave of cloudbased gaming services that are initially nearly given away, but will eventually go the way of Netflix, with constant price hikes when you've grown accustomed to them. In both cases you own nothing. But in the latter case, you also control nothing. You have no power as a customer: you're reduced to a subscriber, heck you can't even support the devs/studios/games you prefer. There are zero guarantees on the content behind your account access. Its like subbing a magazine that may have content in it, or white pages, you just won't know until you get the new monthly edition. You're literally a commercial plaything now -
you're the product shareholders are making money on. Its a dystopian idea. Its Cyberpunk 0.9. You're one step away from losing all control as a customer.
So... pick your battles and be careful what you wish for.
I think it is FAR more worrying to see PAID games get MTX stores, like most of Ubisoft's stable lately. I didn't spend a dime on the latest AC's, because of that simple fact. Because now you get paid boosts (non-cosmetic, gameplay influence!) which effectively killed 'free cheating' on your OWN games that you PAID for, because Ubisoft needs to make buck on it. And even by spending on the main game, you're already supporting that practice. And you're not getting a discount on the game either. Its easily moving towards the new target of 69,99 (instead of the 49~59,99 we got used to). For similar reasons, games that aren't moddable, I am highly unlikely to spend money on. Give me control over my purchase, or else.
So again: you get what you pay for, and I see a lot of people even in this topic making noise about Diablo now, but investing in the same practices elsewhere. Get your record straight, I say. We have the power, and we quite often suck at using it proper. What you do, matters, even if you represent just 0,001% - consider the fact that most business cases work on single digit percentages already. All we need to do is prove the profit projections wrong.
Its for that reason too, that I always say 'patience' when it comes to purchases. 'Buying on launch' or as pre order is utter stupidity, and you just quite simply let your desires get the best of common sense. There is no other explanation for it. Reflect on that, every time you feel you 'must' have something 'now'. And for gaming that goes double or even triple: at launch you have the
worst experience at the
highest expense.
That's enough uncomfortable truths for today