The details of Apex Legends upcoming Battle Pass have been frequently debated in the lead-up to its announcement, and a number of datamining leaks have spoiled some of the update’s key features. Octane’s release had been uncovered weeks before his official announcement, while developer Respawn Entertainment chose to release the character’s Ultimate jump pads into the game ahead of Wild Frontier in order to stress test them.
The release date of Wild Frontier is set for tomorrow, March 19, 2019, at 10am PT. Players have two purchasing options: the regular Battle Pass, which costs a reduced 950 Apex Coins (down from when players could pre-purchase the Battle Pass earlier), and a Battle Pass bundle, which costs 2800 Apex Coins and will include unlocking a player’s next 25 levels for Season 1 content immediately. The Battle Pass will reward players simply for playing Apex Legends, where every level gained levels up the Battle Pass and unlocks rewards exclusive to those who have purchased it. The purchase of the Battle Pass will also instantly unlock the Lifeline Revolutionary, Wraith Survivor, and Mirage Outlaw skins.
Wild Frontier’s Battle Pass will offer 100 unique items throughout the season, each tied to a level of progression. All items earned over the course of the season will be a player’s to keep for the rest of their time with Apex Legends, but it also appears they’ll be gone once the season rotates, so players will have a limited time to unlock Wild Frontier content.
The Battle Pass system also has some interesting measures built in to prevent indecisive players from purchasing a Battle Pass later into the season and getting punished for waiting. When players purchase a Season 1 Battle Pass, they’ll instantly earn all the rewards up to their current Battle Pass level, which is their level for Wild Frontier’s season.
The game will also reward its free-to-play users as well. Even if players don’t purchase the Battle Pass, they’ll earn a Wild Frontier Legend skin, 5 Apex Packs, and 18 Wild Frontier stat trackers just for playing. It’s certainly a remarkably small amount of content compared to what’s available from the Battle Pass, but it’s likely better than nothing, at least.
The Apex Legends Wild Frontier Battle Pass is loaded with content, and will reward prizes ranging from weapon skins, banner frames, and XP boosts. It’s a huge start for a game that hasn’t even hosted its first season yet, and it shows that EA and Respawn have a good idea of what fans of the battle royale genre have come to expect from season-long content. Whether or not the addition of Octane and the Wild Frontier reward system catapults Apex Legends even further into genre stardom remains to be seen, but it’s a strong, measured beginning and it’s one that should have Fortnite players considering whether a deep dive into Apex Legends is now justified.
Source: EA, @PlayApex
