The battle pass is present in most of the online free-to-play games that we play. You can also find them in games like Valorant, Apex Legends, Dota 2, and so much more. However, why do these games have a battle pass? What is the point, and what is their purpose?
Undoubtedly, these games need to make money out of the passes. However, it could also be redundant because of other in-game purchases like cosmetics and more. It’s been a decade since the existence of the battle pass model, but how do they work?
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What is a Battle Pass?
Video games use battle passes to generate money– especially free-to-play games. The passes encourage gamers to play more to earn rewards. Players also use real-world currency to get access to the rewards.
Games categorize these rewards into different tiers, which offer better loot with every game played. However, free-to-play video games also allow players to unlock every reward by purchasing the full pass.
The main selling point of a pass is that you can also earn rewards for free. However, you must purchase it if you want to unlock more top-tier loot. Even more, the games also emphasize that these passes are here for a limited time only.
They last only a few months, like how Valorant Battle Passes change with every act and episode. Even games like Genshin Impact have battle passes that reset after every season or limited time.
What is the Purpose?
We mentioned earlier that battle passes are for generating money. Let’s take Dota 2 as an example. The International, Dota 2’s most prestigious tournament, had the biggest prize pool in esports.
It had $40 million as its prize pool for The International 2021. Most of the money came directly from battle pass purchases. However, not all of the revenue from the pass reaches the prize pool.
After all, the publisher now earns money with its free-to-play game. They also have to think of other costs, like tournament production or game developers. All you have to remember is that a battle pass is a way for free-to-play games to make money.
