Respawn Entertainment has decided to reverse one of the most controversial changes to its new Apex Legends battle pass system: the ability to buy a premium battle pass only with real-world currency, although it didn’t address other issues.
In a statement released on X (formerly Twitter) and on publisher Electronic Arts’ website on Wednesday, the team said they were reinstating the ability to buy the premium battle pass with 950 Apex Coins, which was the price before the announced battle pass updates. Players will also get the chance to unlock a free premium battle pass by completing what it calls “simple” in-game missions during the first half of Season 22.
“You’ve spoken, and we’ve listened,” the post read. “We recognize that we could have handled the Battle Pass changes better—that’s on us.”
It continued: “Moving forward, we recognize that we need to be more timely, transparent, and consistent in our communications with you. Your priorities are our priorities: cheaters, game stability, and quality of life updates are top of mind. We need to get better and it’s why we’re acknowledging them here.”
Besides tweaks to available rewards, Respawn didn’t announce any other changes. This means there will still be a new premium track that costs $20 (and still isn’t available to purchase with Apex Coins) and features extra levels, legendary skin variants, more exotic shards, and access to all legends while the battle pass was active. It was called Premium+, but it’s been changed to Ultimate+.
There’s also now an Ultimate track, which still costs $10 of real-world currency instead of Apex Coins. It’s mostly the same as the regular premium battle pass, but with extra crafting metals and more Apex Packs.
— Apex Legends (@PlayApex) July 24, 2024
Apex Legends received a ton of backlash earlier this month when the developers announced a big change to how seasons are structured. Previously, there was one battle pass per season — one free and one premium. The premium track cost 950 Apex Coins, which is around $10 of real-world currency. While you can buy Apex Coins packs, you can also earn small amounts in-game or through previous battle passes, which makes it cheaper for those who might not be able to afford it each season.
In the new battle pass system, the season will be split into two parts, each with its own premium battle pass. However, you couldn’t buy it with Apex Coins, and each premium track cost $10, essentially doubling the price and cutting out those who would farm currency.
