Respawn responds to Apex Legends microtransaction complaints

Olivia Richman Published 19/08/2019

Apex Legend’s Iron Crown event has not been a hit with fans so far.

Although the event introduced all new skins and cosmetics, players were quick to point out that unlocking all of the event items and the Heirloom would cost over $200. And paying that amount is the only way to truly guarantee that players will get the items they want during their limited scope of availability.

The new cosmetics include a new costume for Wraith and a new weapon skin. Each loot box costs $7, and players must buy 24 boxes to unlock them all. That’s not including an additional $35 if they want to ensure an additional special cosmetic.

When the event was launched on August 13, fans immediately took to Reddit to complain about the free-to-play battle royale’s new microtransactions.

In response to this comment, Redditors also pointed out that for $20 they could “have a nice night out” with their wife at the movies, or just buy a whole new game.

Electronic Arts, which owns Respawn Entertainment and publishes Apex Legends, made a statement about the backlash on Friday.

“At launch we made a promise to players that we intend to do monetization in a way that felt fair. With the Iron Crown event, we missed the mark when we broke our promise by making Apex Packs the only way to get what many consider to be the coolest skin we’ve released,” producer Drew McCoy said.

After discussing the feedback, Respawn Entertainment decided that an event-exclusive Legendary item will appear in the store starting August 20. The items will rotate between all 12 that were released for the event. The Iron Crown Apex Packs will still be available as well.

“With Apex Legends, it is very important to us that we don’t sell a competitive advantage. Our goal has not been to squeeze every last dime out of our players, and we have structured the game so that all players benefit from those who choose to spend money – events like Legendary Hunt or Iron Crown exist so that we can continue to invest in creating more free content for all players,” McCoy said.

McCoy added that Respawn needs to improve their communication with fans, something that the company has said before. Over the last six months, McCoy noticed that they need to be clearer when discussing event structures, since all of their events differ from each other.

“We’re learning more each day on what works, what doesn’t, and how to provide the best possible experiences and content to all of you,” McCoy concluded.

EA has been under fire for their microtransactions in the past, mostly revolving around Star Wars Battlfront II. The title made headlines for being a “pay-to-win” game, where players who chose to dish out money had unfair advantages. Other players realized that after paying $60 for the game, they couldn’t fully complete the game without paying hundreds of dollars more, unless they wanted to grind for an absurd amount of time.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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