After initially being leaked, Respawn confirmed that Apex Legends' Christmas-themed Holo-Day Bash event is returning this year. The event began yesterday and brings back the Winter Express limited-time mode and all-new skins for the various playable Legends and weapons.
However, it seems as if fans aren't feeling the Christmas cheer, as complaints have arisen surrounding those very Christmas skins. Or, to be more specific, how those skins are being distributed. In Apex Legends, skins can be unlocked by simply playing the game, but some players will drop real money on packs in order to acquire specific skins for their favorite characters and such.
As part of the Holo-Day Bash, certain bundles containing a new skin for one Legend and one weapon have been made available. The problem is that players feel that the packs have been deliberately designed in such a way that it encourages players to buy more than one.
When the announcement trailer released, certain Legends were shown wielding matching weapons. For example, Loba, in her new Legendary Crystalline Perfection skin, is seen holding the Spitfire weapon, sporting a new skin of its own.
Players assumed that this would mean the Loba bundle comes with the Spitfire skin. However, the weapon skin is instead part of the Icicle Bundle with the new Crypto skin. And the weapon skin Crypto was using in the trailer is included in the Loba bundle. And this is only one example.
A Reddit thread covering this has over 1,500 comments and primarily consists of players airing their grievances with the decision to split the skins like this, accusing Respawn of predatory business practices, though one user attempts to defend the developer and suggests that it's the publisher EA making decisions like this.
At the time of writing, Respawn has yet to comment on the situation, so time will tell whether it will address fan response. When Season 7 revamped the Battle Pass, many felt that it had been designed to be too difficult to complete, thus trying to entice players into spending money on Battle Pass levels. Respawn later cut down the required XP needed and reworked the Weekly Challenges, but some saw it as an underhanded negotiating tactic.
Comments like those in the Reddit thread suggest that fans are growing more and more disillusioned with Apex Legends, but what negative criticism it's receiving certainly doesn't appear to be slowing down the game's success. Only last month, EA confirmed that Apex Legends' consistent popularity since its 2019 launch means it looks set to become a billion dollar franchise by next year.
Apex Legends is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. A Nintendo Switch release is planned for 2021.