Controversial Apex Legends battle pass rework, explained

Respawn Entertainment ignited a firestorm amongst the Apex Legends community when it announced significant changes to the battle pass system starting in season 22. Apex’s battle pass has become a core part of players’ routines over the years, but it’s about to get a serious shake-up.

At the time of writing, these changes have the most dedicated Apex fans concerned and players up in arms. To understand the controversial nature of Apex’s battle pass rework, we’ll first break down the changes and then go over what the changes mean for the community.

All Apex Legends season 22 battle pass changes

Here are the changes coming to Apex‘s battle pass with season 22:

• Each Apex split is set to have its own battle pass, meaning there will now be two battle passes throughout a season.
• Rewards and reward structures are also being updated.
• Battle passes will be shorter and easier to complete, but there’s a catch, you can’t use Apex Coins to buy the battle pass. Even the base version of the battle pass is now only obtainable through spending real money.

Why does the Apex Legends community dislike the battle pass changes?

With the regular pass listed at $9.99 and the Premium version at $19.99, the cost of playing the battle pass throughout a season just doubled. While Respawn tried to sweeten the pod, with the developer offering more rewards for all tiers, removing the ability to grind toward the next battle pass via Apex Coins has been a massive blow to the player base.

Long-time players, who form the core of the game’s community, feel disproportionately affected because the change could disrupt established in-game routines, potentially alienating the game’s most dedicated supporters who log in to play every day. Some players interpret this change as a harbinger of more aggressive monetization strategies and worry about the game’s future direction and commitment to player satisfaction.

Casual fans—who enjoy the game but don’t play often enough to accumulate sufficient Apex Coins for purchasing the battle pass—may find themselves relatively unaffected by the new battle pass structure. For this group, Respawn’s new model essentially asks for an additional $10 per season—a change that, while noticeable, may not significantly alter their engagement with the game.

Overall, the battle pass rework may indicate broader challenges facing Apex Legends’ current monetization strategy. The original model relied heavily on attracting new users who would make that initial $10 investment in the battle pass. As the game matures and the influx of new players potentially slows, however, this model becomes less sustainable.

With long-term players accumulating enough Apex Coins to purchase the battle pass without additional investment, Apex’s revenue from this source may have significantly declined. The decision to remove the option to buy the battle pass with Apex Coins could be a direct response to this problem.