Apex Legends Microtransactions Explainer: Prices, Battle Pass, Skins, And More

Following its surprise reveal, Respawn's new battle royale game, Apex Legends, is now available on PS4, PC, and Xbox One. Much like Epic's popular take on the genre, Fortnite, the game is completely free to download and play, but it features microtransactions, giving you numerous options for spending real-world money if you so choose. Here's a breakdown of what you can get and how much it costs.

There are three different types of currency in Apex Legends: Apex Coins, Legend Tokens, and Crafting Metals. Apex Coins are the only kind that can be purchased with real-world money, and they're used to buy Apex Packs (the game's equivalent of loot boxes), Legends (playable characters), and featured items. You can purchase Apex Coins in the following increments:

• 1,000 Apex Coins - $10 / £8
• 2,000 (+ 150 Bonus) Apex Coins - $20 / £16
• 4,000 (+350 Bonus) Apex Coins - $40 / £32
• 6,000 (+750 Bonus) Apex Coins - $60 / £48
• 10,000 (+1500 Bonus) Apex Coins - $100 / £80

The remaining two forms of currency, Legend Tokens (represented with a red icon) and Crafting Metals (blue icon) can both be earned within the game. You'll receive Legend Tokens for leveling up, and these can be used to purchase most the same items as Apex Coins. Crafting Metals, meanwhile, can be obtained in Apex Packs, and they are used to unlock weapon skins and other cosmetics.

The Apex Packs themselves cost 100 Apex Coins and can contain a variety of different cosmetics. Much like the loot boxes in Overwatch, you can get weapon skins, poses, banners, voice lines, and character skins, including the highly desirable Legendary skins.

To help get you started, EA is selling an Apex Legends Stater Pack for $5 / £4. It comes with 600 Apex Coins and two exclusive cosmetics: an animated Fresh Meat RE45 weapon skin and the Feeding Frenzy badge. The publisher is also offering the premium Founder's Pack, which runs for $30 / £25 and includes the following items:

• 2000 Apex Coins
• Exclusive Legendary Demon Hemlok weapon skin
• 3 Exclusive Roughneck character skins (one each for Wraith, Bloodhound, and Gibraltar)
• 3 Exclusive Banner Frames (one each for Wraith, Bloodhound, and Gibraltar)
• 1 Exclusive Founder’s Badge

Respawn has stressed that all of Apex Legends' microtransactions will strictly be cosmetic; players who elect to spend money on the game won't receive any gameplay advantages over those who don't spend a single cent. The developer has also taken steps to ensure the game's loot boxes are fair; they won't offer duplicates of items you already own, and there's "bad luck protection" to ensure players don't go too long without receiving something worthwhile. You can read more about how Apex Legends' microtransactions work here.

On top of all that, Respawn will also offer a Fortnite-like battle pass each season in Apex Legends. Through this, players will be able to unlock Apex Packs and exclusive cosmetics. The first season is set to kick off in March. A price for the battle pass has not yet been announced, but you can get a sense for what kind of updates and new content are on the way in the roadmap below.