Silent Hill: Ascension arrives this Halloween as a free-to-play interactive horror experience, but fans beware-while you can join the terror without paying, the game’s microtransactions, including a $20 Founder’s Pack and purchasable Influence Points to sway story decisions, have ignited fierce debate about fairness and pay-to-win dynamics within the community.
Tuesday’s premiere of Silent Hill: Ascension will run about 45 minutes, with normal nightly episodes spanning about 5-15 minutes. Genvid expects to generate about 45 minutes of content for its series each week.
Silent Hill: Ascension will be free to watch and interact with. The app itself, available from the App Store and Google Play, is also free to download. But viewers can purchase a season pass that will work similarly to many games’ battle passes. That season pass unlocks a long list of in-game cosmetics, including stickers and character customization options.
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Viewers who want to be a part of the experience will be able to show off those cosmetics through cameo contests. Ascension viewers’ in-app avatars have the opportunity to show up as extras and in speaking roles.
Genvid’s series will play out nightly, with new episodes premiering at 9 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. PDT. As episodes stream, viewers can vote in real time, spending what are called Influence Points, or IP (styled as ᚾᚹ in the app), to sway decisions. The more points you have, the stronger your influence, says Jacob Navok, CEO of Genvid.
Navok says that Silent Hill: Ascension won’t be pay-to-win; viewers can’t simply spend a bunch of money on IP to outvote their fellow Silent Hill fans. And while IP can be purchased directly and unlocked through the season pass, there are free ways to earn the points. In addition to its branching narrative scenes, Ascension has moments called Endurance Scenes, real-time QTEs that viewers can participate in to decide characters’ fate (and earn them IP).
Silent Hill: Ascension also includes daily puzzles that will let players earn IP. These puzzles include things like a rhythm game in which players strum a guitar (to Akira Yamaoka Silent Hill songs, no less), lockboxes, hash puzzles, and a classic tile puzzle game. These puzzles can also be helpful in aiding the characters of Ascension, restoring their in-game Hope meter to keep them in play.
Genvid is selling the season pass for $19.99, which spans six months of content. That six-month window includes the original 16-week playthrough of the interactive series, and new game plus-style replays, which will offer different outcomes. The initial season pass is available as part of a Founder’s Pack until Nov. 14, and that pack includes exclusive cosmetics.
Silent Hill: Ascension can be streamed on Android and iOS devices, or through the series’ website, Ascension.com. Ascension will also stream as “packaged episodes,” factoring in viewers’ decisions, on a weekly basis through the Sony Pictures Core app, which is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Sony’s Bravia televisions, and select Xperia smartphones.
Why does Silent Hill: Ascension charge microtransactions despite being free to watch
Silent Hill: Ascension charges microtransactions despite being free to watch because its business model relies on optional purchases that enhance player engagement and unlock additional content. While the core video content and participation in daily decisions are free, players can buy Influence Points (IP) to have more sway in story outcomes, and purchase a $20 Founder’s Pack that includes a season pass, extra puzzles, cosmetics, and rewards. This approach aims to keep the experience accessible to a large audience while monetizing through optional cosmetic and gameplay enhancements rather than gating the entire story behind a paywall. The publisher argues that microtransactions primarily serve cosmetic purposes and voluntary rewards, not narrative control, and that all main content is available for free over time. However, this model has sparked backlash from fans who see it as pay-to-win or unfair, especially since Influence Points can affect voting power in the interactive story decisions.
Why does Silent Hill: Ascension prioritize microtransactions over free full access
Silent Hill: Ascension prioritizes microtransactions over full free access as part of a strategic choice to reach a broad audience while monetizing optional content. The developers designed the experience to be free-to-watch and free-to-participate in daily story decisions, aiming to attract millions of viewers without a paywall. Microtransactions, including the $20 Founder’s Pack and purchasable Influence Points (IP), serve primarily as a way for players to unlock cosmetic rewards, solve bonus puzzles, and “skip time” in earning in-game currency rather than to gate core narrative content or allow pay-to-win control over story outcomes. CEO Jacob Navok of Genvid explained that the microtransactions are intended to keep the main content accessible to all while generating revenue from a small fraction of players who want enhanced engagement or faster progression. However, this model has sparked significant fan backlash, with many criticizing it as pay-to-win and feeling that it undermines the fairness and quality of the experience.
