The recent announcement of Season 22 changes to the Apex Legends battle pass system has sparked a wave of negative backlash from the player community. The introduction of two 60-level battle passes per season, along with a price increase to $10 USD, has left many players feeling dissatisfied. Prior to the announcement, the game was receiving a mix of positive and negative reviews, with daily fluctuations in user sentiment. However, following the news of the changes, the game has received a staggering 35,035 negative reviews, resulting in an overall “overwhelmingly negative” score for the month of July.
Since the launch of Season 1: Wild Frontier in March 2019, Apex Legends has followed a consistent format for its battle pass offerings. Each season featured a single battle pass with 110 levels of cosmetics and in-game currency for players to unlock after purchase. Players had the option to pay for the pass with 950 Apex Coins or 2,800 AC to unlock the first 25 levels instantly. However, with Season 22, Respawn Entertainment has opted to release two separate 60-level battle passes per season. The first pass will launch with the new season, while the second will arrive at the season’s midpoint.
Pricing Controversy
One of the most contentious changes to the battle pass system is the price increase. Each battle pass will now cost $10 USD, with an upgraded version available for $20 USD. Furthermore, players can no longer purchase battle passes with Apex Coins, a feature that was beloved by many in the community. Previously, completing one season’s battle pass would earn players enough Apex Coins to buy the next pass, effectively making it free for dedicated players. With the removal of this feature, players will now need to spend more than twice as much per season and will no longer have the option to use earned coins to unlock future passes.
Many players have expressed frustration and disappointment with the new battle pass changes. One disgruntled player, with over 1,500 hours in the game, lamented the loss of the ability to earn the battle pass for free through the completion of previous seasons. The change in structure means that players will need to unlock 120 levels of content per season, as opposed to the previous 110, in a shorter amount of time due to the mid-season split. This has put added pressure on players to grind through levels in a shorter timeframe to access all rewards.
The fallout from the Season 22 battle pass changes in Apex Legends has resulted in a significant shift in player sentiment and overall rating. With a flood of negative reviews and backlash from the community, Respawn Entertainment may need to reconsider their decision to alter the battle pass system. The removal of key features such as free pass acquisition through earned coins has left many players feeling devalued and disillusioned with the game’s direction. It remains to be seen how the developers will address the concerns raised by the community and whether they will make adjustments to regain player trust and satisfaction.
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