Summary
- Many players are outraged by Apex Legends' Season 22 Battle Pass changes.
- Gamers have been negative review bombing the game on Steam because Apex Legends will soon require real money to purchase a Battle Pass.
Apex Legends players are now review bombing the game on Steam after Respawn announced its controversial decision to make a big change to the Battle Pass in Season 22. Apex Legends was launched back in 2019, featuring rich lore and fast-paced combat, and since then, it has attracted quite a large player base. But the recent changes to its Battle Pass system has left many players angry.
EA's latest update has revealed that purchasing the Battle Pass in Apex Legends' Season 22 will require players to spend real money, and there won't be an option to buy it with Apex Coins. The Battle Pass in the next season will also be split into two separate purchasable parts. Though the number of BP levels will be lowered to 60 in each Battle Pass, players will eventually need to climb 120 levels instead of the normal 110 as there will be two separate Passes. In other words, EA's promise to reduce the number of levels needed for cosmetic items might not be so black and white. Starting with Season 22, the Premium Pass will cost $9.99, while the Premium+ will be $19.99.
Many Apex Legends players have threatened to quit the game after this big change was announced on the official website. The backlash has been pretty swift, with players expressing their dissatisfaction by leaving negative reviews on Steam. On July 9 alone, a total of 1,449 negative reviews were posted, dropping the game's recent review score to "Mixed." Season 21 of Apex Legends introduced some controversial changes, but many players are seeing the Battle Pass change as the final straw. The Apex Legends subreddit has also seen an increase in critical posts, with some users declaring they have uninstalled the game.
Apex Legends Season 21 Brought Massive Changes
Before announcing the Battle Pass changes, Apex Legends adjusted the Ranked Rewards system in Season 21. Respawn and EA went back to a previous model where players get an animated badge if they achieve the same competitive rank in both splits of the season. Players who end the season with different ranks are awarded a static badge which reflects the higher rank.
On the other hand, in the mid-season patch for Season 21, Apex Legends' Wattson and Ash were shadow buffed. Wattson's shield regeneration ability was buffed and Ash's Ultimate ability was enhanced by increasing the portal distance. Ash and Wattson mains are quite satisfied with these changes as they are positively impacting their gameplay.
The mid-season patch also included a highly controversial nerf to Bloodhound in Apex Legends, which has raised concerns about the future of the recon legend in competitive play. Bloodhound's Ultimate ability no longer highlights enemies through smoke or gas, which has been a huge part of the meta since Season 0. Though the future is obviously uncertain, these controversial changes to the Battle Pass and Bloodhound might result in lower player counts in upcoming seasons of Apex Legends.
Apex Legends
- Released
- February 4, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
Conquer with character in Apex Legends, a free-to-play* Hero shooter where legendary characters with powerful abilities team up to battle for fame & fortune on the fringes of the Frontier.
Master an ever-growing roster of diverse legends, deep tactical squad play, and bold new innovations that go beyond the Battle Royale experience—all within a rugged world where anything goes. Welcome to the next evolution of Hero Shooter.
This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items, including a random selection of virtual in-game items.
- Developer(s)
- Respawn Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Platform(s)
- PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, iOS, Android, Switch
- Genre(s)
- Battle Royale, First-Person Shooter
