Electronic Arts is destroying Apex Legends
Earlier this year, I wrote an article defending Apex Legends, labeling it as one of the best battle royales of our time. I complemented their representation, growth, storytelling, and in-game updates that enhanced the abilities of every player. It is with disappointment that I have to rescind my previous statements—Entertainment Arts (EA) is slowly destroying Apex Legends, and they are taking the community down with it.
This was a free-to-play battle royale but slowly grew into a game obsessed with making a profit, and it started to reflect in their events and game updates. Cosmetics are only getting more expensive along with the price of heirlooms, a “mythic-tier” cosmetic specific to each legend, including their abilities and identity. Each weapon is personalized to fit a legend’s storyline and character design. For example, Lifeline, a combat medic, heirloom includes shock sticks and a pair of drumsticks with Lifeline’s decor. Heirlooms can be dropped by purchasing 500 Apex packs or by collecting 24 items during a collection event. This means that players would be required to spend around 160 dollars for one heirloom.
Many players fail to understand that EA is the parent company of Respawn Entertainment. Respawn does not control the marketing or pricing of their games, but EA does. There have been many debates and demands made by players holding Respawn responsible for the decrease in players’ in-game engagement. If Respawn rejects their parent company, it can put hundreds of jobs and games at risk of being shut down. This does not mean that Respawn is not trying.
Apex Legends’ Season 20 release led players to take to social media to express their disappointment about game updates. There were no new legends, weapons, or a map; crafting materials could only be collected through in-game actions like shield leveling, and players could only craft banners, ammo, medkits, and shield batteries if they were playing a support legend. This completely changes the way squads will clash when the ring closes. This causes players to ration the resources they carry and leaves players who are not playing a supporting character at a huge disadvantage.
As of season 22, the featured free battle pass is no more. Battle passes allow players to collect rewards through their engagement with the game, including Apex coins, Apex packs, epic and legendary character skins, epic and legendary gun skins, epic and legendary emotes, voice lines, and so much more. If players would like to reap the benefits of the battle pass, they now have the option to choose a free, premium (950 Apex coins), ultimate (9.99 dollars), or ultimate plus ($19.99), which only counts for half of the season. In total, players would be dropping close to $40 on a battle pass that used to be free.
The recent updates have caused players to leave the game for the time being and make it difficult for new players to fall in love with the game. It leaves me to wonder: Will the issue resolve itself? We are at a point where we are playing a waiting game on whether our voices will be considered in the decision-making of the games we grew to love.
I used to enjoy competitive games like Apex Legends and Overwatch. I felt enjoyment as I continued to play with my friends. However, due to the brash changes of gaming developing companies, these games are not targeted for their communities to enjoy—they are greedy, corrupted companies obsessed with making a profit. The greed of these companies is taking away the many memories that I and other players have made with these games. It is unfair that when we provide our much-wanted feedback, we are met with the complete opposite.