Apex Legends has controversially shifted its battle pass behind a paywall. The game’s season 22 will be launching soon, and the change is set to be implemented in the update. The move faced criticism from players who were okay with the status quo and respected the effort and time sunk into the game.
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Apex Legends is a live-service shooter that allows users to play against each other in a battle royale. The game was initially released in 2019 and has grown to be among the best in its genre. The game has grown in popularity as many gamers have shown their loyalty by investing time in grinding to earn rewards.
However, things are about to change with the latest sudden announcement from EA. EA games intend to move the new season’s battle passes behind a paywall that requires players to pay real-life currency. The move was criticized by fans who were previously able to buy the game passes using Apex Coins earned in the game.
EA explains the Apex Legends battle pass changes
Starting with Season 22, we’re evolving the Apex Legends Battle Pass to improve your experience and progression goals.
Read on to learn everything to know about the upcoming changes or check out the infographic below to learn more.
📃: https://t.co/kg5NhlFfVq pic.twitter.com/i516ktP9ma
— Apex Legends (@PlayApex) July 8, 2024
In the move announced by EA, earned battle passes will be scrapped, and players will need to pay with real-life currency instead. The announcement introduced the split seasonal offerings, which are set to start from $9.99. The change also introduced another $19.99 bundle that is available for purchase. Prior to season 22, players could grind in the game to earn the in-game currency they could use to pay for battle passes at 2800 Apex Coins.
The game also offered the option to skip grinding and directly purchase the battle pass using real-life currency. However, with the change being rolled out in season 22, players will only access battle passes by choosing the option that requires their wallets, not the time they sunk into the game.
The controversial decision was followed by an explanation from EA that tried to expound on the reasoning behind the changes. In the statement made by the game publisher, the issue of costs was used to justify the change being rolled out. The publisher stated that the decision was made to help lower the general costs for the rewards contained in the game pass. The costs lowered would affect both the Premium Track Battle Pass at $9.99 and the new Premium+ Battle Pass at $19.99. EA explained that these prices would lower the general cost by approximately 29%.
Apex Legends fans react to the battle pass announcement
Ratio pic.twitter.com/viIPtis7hl
— ADeliciousMango (@ADeliciousMango) July 8, 2024
Apex Legends grew into one of the biggest games in its genre, with many fans joining soon after the game launched in 2019. The announcement drew scathing remarks from fans across social media platforms.
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In one post, a user compared the move to EA, turning the game into a cash cow. The sentiment was shared by Reddit users in the Apex community, stating that they would even uninstall the game and never look back because EA was greedy.
Cryptopolitan reporting by Collins J. Okoth
