The exclusive cosmetics are recolors only available through bundles with Apex Coins.
Apex Legends’ Fight or Fright collection drew backlash from an outsized portion of the community. Players are outraged by the event’s sales model: most exclusive cosmetics are only available through bundles within the in-game store, and only with Apex Coins.
Reception to the shop bundles seems overwhelmingly negative. Players called the business model “unacceptable” and “a new low,” and one user even said that they really missed the Halloween loot boxes from last year’s event.
“How is that this fair if I, player, would really like to support the sport and buy some skins individually, those I prefer, but instead I even have to select one between these bundles which are expensive and have stuff I don't want?” a user commented.
Players seem primarily aggravated by a mix of three main issues: most skins can only be bought inexpensive bundles, players can only use Apex Coins and not Crafting Metals or Legend Tokens, and most cosmetics are just recolors of old visuals.
Bundles are a package deal. The offer supplies a group of cosmetics in bulk and lets players acquire all the skins cheaper than they might cost alone. Respawn, however, didn’t add a choice to purchase cosmetics individually for full price.
The model forces players to distribute pile to urge a couple of skins that they'll not want. Granted, it comes at a less expensive price than buying all items individually, but it’s still considerably costlier than buying one or two items. A disgruntled player shared his thoughts on the subject: “Here’s some valuable feedback about the bundles. Screw them.”
Crypto’s Prince of Darkness bundle contains three vampire-themed cosmetics for the hacker: the Deadly Byte skin from last year’s event, its Midnight Cipher recolor, and a banner pose. Players looking to urge any skin for Crypto will need to spend 2,500 Apex Coins, rather than purchasing them individually for up to 1,800 coins.
Bloodhound mains have it even worse: to urge the 2 skins for the Technological Tracker, they’re forced to distribute $60 to accumulate the Tortured Souls bundle, with two skins for Bloodhound and another two for Crypto. “Why should I even have to spend $60 on skins I won’t use that much, for the skins I do want?” a player asked.
Previous events let players spend their hard-earned Crafting Metals to unlock event-exclusive cosmetics, albeit at a better price than normal skins. The 2020 Fight or Fright collection doesn’t give players that option. Anyone looking to shop for the cosmetics is forced to spend Apex Coins — and therefore the only thanks to get them is with real cash.
Buying 1,000 Apex Coins costs $9.99, but the most cost effective bundle within the store, the Queens of the Night pack, costs 1,500 coins. The pricing forces players to spend a minimum of $19.99 to urge their hands on any of the new visuals. Some returning cosmetics, too, are only available in bundles, rather than individually or at a less expensive price.
The bundle model forces Loba players to get the Queens of the Night bundle with a Lifeline skin, albeit they need never played Lifeline. the worth is additionally considerably above it might be at 1,500 Apex Coins. Since the shop only sells 1,000 and 2,150 coins with nothing in between, players haven't any choice but to distribute more of their currency to urge Loba’s new visual.
The new Fight or Fright collection features a replacement combat cosmetics from last year’s Halloween event, with the lion’s share of things as recolors rather than completely new visuals. Only two legends got new skins: Revenant and Loba, both released after last year’s event.
The rest of the cosmetics are recolors or returning visuals from the previous iteration of Fight or Fright. Recolors and comebacks are parts of Apex‘s recent events, but they’re usually a secondary element, sidelined by the new skins. This year’s Fight or Fright, however, inverts the equation; recolors and returning cosmetics have the spotlight, while new skins are mostly out of view.
Respawn usually allows players to spend Legend Tokens to unlock cosmetics as long as they need the first skin, but developers also broke this practice within the latest event. Although event skins are more special than normal legendaries, they're generally craftable with Crafting Metals, albeit with a better price. an equivalent principle could apply to Legend Tokens and provides players an additional incentive to get the first skins. The Bundle model pulls the brakes thereon idea by forcing players to spend their cash on the new items.