This is just lazy. Epic should SERIOUSLY reconsider reinstating what so many consider to be valuable resources. BOTH text reviews and questions help the customer evaluate both the product (short term) and the seller (long term).
At least one developer (bless his soul) recognized this and made his written reviews accessible via Google Sheets. Sure, there’s no way to tell if they’re valid or not, but it’s a novel solution and I love customer-oriented sellers (and you should too). Its perhaps no coincidence that I bought a few of his products in the past, and look forward to confidently purchasing more in the future.
Check out “Hyper Outliner and Symbol System V2” by Hyper to see what I’m talking about:
https://www.fab.com/listings/640d4c6c-4142-419f-804e-91a8efd61e84
The argument that text reviews/questions can be misused for Discord verification and seller abuse doesn’t hold water. If anything, it certainly tells me that the seller has pretty shady customer support, or is incapable of listening to criticism. It tells me to stay away from the seller, which in itself is pretty useful!
Smart buyers know how to sift through the information to come to a sound buying decision. They utilize ALL information available: descriptions, pictures, demos, videos, audio clips, reviews, and q&a, and even forums (lol).
Unreal assets can be expensive, many costing upwards of $100. To deny customers the right to make informed buying decisions, especially when the information was readily available on the old Unreal Marketplace is a HUGE letdown.
Do better, Epic.