The proliferation of online multiplayer games, and particularly live service multiplayer games, has led to a sharing of ideas between games. Now Apex Legends players are asking for Respawn Entertainment to consider taking one of Halo Infinite's most exciting ideas. That idea being Halo Infinite's approach to permanent battle pass unlocks.
Apex Legends currently uses the industry-standard approach to battle passes. Players purchase a battle pass at the beginning of a season and progress through it as they play. Then when the season ends, the battle pass ends, too. Players can no longer progress through, as a new battle pass has unlocked and all progression goes to that instead. Games like Fortnite also use this system, as it's based around FOMO, the feeling of missing out, and drives microtransaction purchases and player retention.
343 Industries has decided to choose the carrot instead of the stick with its approach to battle passes in Halo Infinite. Battle passes will still be released seasonally, but once a payer has purchased and unlocked it they'll have access to it permanently. They'll still have to progress through it to unlock content, but they can do it at their own pace. If a Halo Infinite player has purchased multiple battle passes, they can choose which one to progress through and swap between them as they please.
That's what Apex Legends players are requesting, going off of a highly-upvoted post in the Apex Legends subreddit. Players would like for Respawn to replace the current battle pass systems with what 343 has announced for Halo Infinite. Respawn has made no indication that it's even considering such a change, but all changes start with feedback. As such, Apex Legends players are making their voices heard.
Surprisingly, there are some Apex Legends players defending the exclusivity of season passes that have limited availability in the comments of the Reddit post. They offer up an alternative idea, which is that a battle pass' first 100 tiers can be permanently unlocked, but up to 110 remains exclusive. That way, hardcore players are still able to unlock something exclusive for their dedication. These comments are likely coming from hardcore players, naturally.
First, Halo Infinite needs to arrive, so that everyone can see just how its battle pass system works and whether it's successful. If it isn't, then it's unlikely Apex Legends, Fortnite, or Call of Duty: Warzone will make any changes. Profit is the name of the game, after all. If Halo Infinite's battle pass system is incredibly successful, however, anything is possible.
Apex Legends is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.