Apex Legends sure has been through its fair share of ups and downs recently, hasn’t it? In lieu of an update to the game last week that finally added a much-welcome feature fans have been asking for since launch, the patch also triggered a series of hiccups on developer Respawn’s end that hasn’t exactly been welcomed with open arms, to say the least.
The leaver penalty accidentally added to the live game last week was promptly removed following fan backlash, an issue only further compounded by the discovery of a particularly nasty bug that was indiscriminately wiping players’ progress. Those issues have since been seen to and Respawn has subsequently nurtured further goodwill with the player base by banning thousands of cheaters, but today’s news could prove to upset the currently delicate balance.
As per serial Apex Legends leaker RealApexLeaks, a series of references to something dubbed ‘Retail Currency’ has been discovered in the battle royale’s files, seemingly suggesting that a new form of monetization to sit alongside existing Apex Coins is on the cards.
See below for all the relevant info:
LEAK: Something called Retail Currency was added this update. Apex Coins are called Premium Currency. I think we can buy tokens now.#ApexLegends #Apexpartner #apexnews #ApexLegendsBattleRoyale #apexlegendsseason1 #Apexpartner #apexpacks #ApexLegendsleaks #apexlegendsclips pic.twitter.com/SM25K8TQwM
— RealApexLeaks – Apex Legends News News & Leaks (@RealApexLeaks) April 4, 2019
As pointed out by the leaker, this potentially new currency could be introduced as a means of allowing players to obtain Legend Tokens with real money. Currently, the only method of obtaining said tokens is by leveling up through play, where they can then be spent on obtaining various character skins and the like. Should this so-called Retail Currency facilitate the purchase of Legend Tokens with real cash, it would allow players to bypass the usual grind and drop a few bucks on anything that takes their fancy on the in-game store.
Is the above indisputable evidence of a new currency being added to Apex Legends, though? Given how intended features can oft-times end up on the cutting room floor, not at all, but Respawn has, at the very least, considered its introduction. We’ll be keeping close tabs on this one for future developments but in the meantime, feel free to let us know your thoughts in the usual place below.
