When Apex Legends released as a free-to-play battle royale earlier this week, it was unclear how the microtransaction-based business model would affect gameplay. Many free-to-play games offer P2W gameplay advantages to players with real money to spend, sustaining the ongoing development for their game. Certainly, once the various in-game currencies of Crafting Metals, Apex Coins, and Legends Tokens were revealed, some players have started asking: Is Apex Legends pay-to-win? Read on to find out what money can buy in Apex Legends.
Apex Legends P2W | Is Apex Legends pay-to-win
When you first start in Apex Legends, you may notice that only six of the eight characters are available to play, with Mirage and Caustic both locked until you use either Apex Coins or Legends Tokens to unlock. While the latter currency is earned through leveling in the game, Apex Coins can be bought with real money, so there is the option to unlock these characters from the beginning if you’re willing to pay. However, this does not make Apex Legends pay-to-win, as these characters are not demonstrably stronger than any of the other six characters immediately available, and can still be unlocked with free Legends Tokens.
The purchasable Apex Coins can also be spent to buy Apex Packs, the loot boxes in Apex Legends, which hold random cosmetic items. This includes weapon and character skins, as well as banners, badges, and quips for each character in the game, but each of these can also be bought using Crafting Metals, which are found in small amounts from Apex Packs. A Battle Pass is also expected to release in the near future, granting access to exclusive items. Overall, cosmetic items are much easier to unlock using the paid Apex Coins currency, but as they don’t have any impact on actual gameplay, these microtransactions don’t make Apex Legends pay-to-win.
