The battle royale market became that much more crowded today as yet another free-to-play shooter joined the fray. Development studio Respawn Entertainment have launched the Titanfall spin-off Apex Legends, which is being published by EA. Currently available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, the game looks primed to be a new favorite in the massively successful battle royale genre. As with most titles in the free-to-play market, Apex Legends will incorporate microtransactions and is reportedly planning to charge up to $18 each for cosmetic skins.
Apex Legends will feature a loot-box style system called “Apex Packs,” which will be purchased using an in-game currency called Apex Coins. These Coins are purchased with real money but the game’s other currencies (Legend Tokens and Crafting Materials) are both earned through gameplay and Apex Packs respectively.
This will no doubt cause alarm for players who are aware of EA’s less than stellar track record regarding monetization of game content in the past. In response to this possible distrust, the team at Respawn have given players a detailed explanation of how microtransactions will be utilized in Apex Legends. Most notably that while players will have the ability to purchase a variety of in-game items, there will be no ‘pay-to-win’ option. It is reassuring to have Respawn addressing these gameplay concerns early on in Apex Legends‘ lifecycle.
Despite Respawn’s comments, some players may find themselves disappointed by the way in which Apex Legends locks off two of the eight playable characters behind a paywall. These characters can be earned through an unspecified amount of gameplay but are presented in the game’s marketplace as purchasable for 750 Apex Coins ($7.50). Respawn as also confirmed that all future characters will only be available through this method of unlocking.
Apex Legends also offers up a variety of purchasable items such as character banners, quips, and skins for both the player and their weapon. The highest tier of character skin, also known as Legendary, will cost players up to $18.
Regardless of how players will respond to Apex Legends, Respawn has made it clear that the team is not currently developing Titanfall 3.
