The new Apex Legends battle pass scheme has stirred up quite a bit of controversy among players. Respawn recently announced that the game will now feature two shorter battle passes per season instead of one long one. While some argue that this change may not necessarily be a negative one, as Respawn claims the new 60-tier half-season passes will still offer the same number of legendary skins as the old 110-tier passes but with less filler.
Community Backlash
However, the player community seems to have a different opinion, with over 1,300 negative reviews flooding in on Steam today alone, causing the game’s recent review score average to drop to “Mixed.” Many players have expressed their frustration with the battle pass change, labeling it as the final straw amidst other issues such as cheaters, bugs, server problems, and balancing disagreements.
Despite the backlash, Apex Legends continues to maintain its popularity, boasting over 240,000 concurrent players on Steam today. While complaints about matchmaking, cheating, bugs, and monetization decisions are common in live service games, the intensity of the response to the new battle pass system is notable.
Potential Reconsideration
While it may be too early to declare Apex a “dead game,” the strong negative reaction from the community may prompt EA and Respawn to reconsider their decision. If the new battle pass system does proceed as planned, players can expect to see it implemented with the start of Season 22 in August.
