Apex Legends Battle Pass Changes Infuriate Players
The Apex Legends community is outraged over Battle Pass changes recently announced by Respawn Entertainment.
Earlier today, the Apex Legends team announced that the Battle Pass was getting "evolved" to have an improved experience and help players reach their progression goals. Now, Battle Passes are available per split instead of once per season, with players able to earn the first Premium Battle Pass during the first two weeks of Season 22.
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The grinding has been seemingly reduced as well. To unlock "key cosmetic items," you now only have to get to level 60 instead of 110. Rewards that were not being used frequently have been removed from the Battle Pass, however. Instead, free track rewards will be refreshed each seasonal split to include 200 AC, 7 Apex Packs, 1 complete Epic set and more. The Premium track rewards will refresh with the following:
- 2400 CM
- 1300 AC
- 10 Exotic Shards
- Various Apex Packs
- 1 Reactive weapon skin
- 1 Legendary weapon skin
- 3 Epic legend skins
- 7 Epic weapon skins
- Twice as many crafting materials across the season
- 3 more Legendary/Epic Apex Packs per Battle Pass compared to before
Apex Legends battle pass changes summed up pic.twitter.com/rhpoMENuW7
— Apex Legends News (@alphaINTEL) July 8, 2024
It sounds on the surface like more rewards for less grinding, but gamers were immediately angry at the news. The idea of buying two Battle Passes has rubbed Apex Legends players the wrong way and many are voicing their anger at Respawn Entertainment, claiming that the game is "dying" and devs are looking for more ways to make people purchase even more in-game content.
Said one player: "So the games worse than ever, losing players at an alarming rate and their response is making two Battle Passes and more ways to give them money?? I'm starting to genuinely despise Respawn."
The Premium Pass now costs $8.99 (so $16.99 per season) and the Premium+ version is $17.99 (or $35.99). It seems like you'll have to use real cash instead of AC as well, another infuriating aspect for many gamers.
"Guess this is my last BP," wrote a disappointed player.
"So I can no longer spam Battle Passes by using the coins I already earned.. Thanks again for the great update Apex," added another.
In June, players were concerned with Apex Legends having a lower player count than it has been in years. At the time, it was believed to be due to other games coming out like XDefiant and Elden Ring's DLC. Others felt that players were jumping ship to those games because Apex Legends lacked meaningful content updates and gamers were growing bored.
Now, players feel like Respawn Entertainment is panicking about its game losing popularity and are hoping to make up for the lost revenue with pricier Battle Pass options. But many gamers feel this will have the opposite effect and push them to play other games due to feeling offended by the "greed" or a refusal to pay for two Battle Passes a season. For players that love to grind Battle Passes as their way of enjoying a game, this could very well kill that for them.
Only time will tell if these changes will impact the player count in the long run or if Apex Legends players are just fearing the worst and will end up enjoying the update.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!