How is it a money grab? paying is completely optional and not at all necessary to progress, unlike games like Hogwarts Mystery. Also, I think they would have at least finished X's story in America, but no, the game just transferred from X to UnionX. I think milking the amount of time to finish up first, then make the switch would be more of a money grubbing tactic
...It's a pay-to-play game. Their base concept is all the same. And everything is nice and all until the game gets too difficult and grindy, which basically endorses the thought of spending money on it. These games are designed the way they are because they know people will pour money into it.