EA And Respawn Are Under Fire For Overpriced Apex Legends Loot Boxes

A week or so ago, EA and Respawn announced that Apex Legends would finally be receiving a Solos mode for a brief two-week period, a decision that was sure to please longtime fans and those who enjoy a more lone-wolf approach to their online multiplayer.

Arriving on schedule, the limited-time Solos kicked off yesterday, along with a handful of additions and changes as part of the Iron Crown Collection Event. Aside from the new mode, the new update introduces the Octane Town Takeover, which sees the eponymous character repurposing a small section of Kings Canyon with a mega jump pad course and a ring of fire (this remodeling will stick around after the event ends).

All of these changes seem rather fun, but one of the new additions has been met with a ton of backlash and controversy. As Polygon reports, the event also saw the introduction of the aptly-named Iron Crown Collection Packs, which is just another way of saying fancy, limited-time loot boxes. Unlike previous randomized offerings though, these draw from a fixed pool of collectibles with absolutely no duplicates. There are 12 Epics and 12 Legendary unlocks, so once you open 24 packs, you’ll have access to (almost) everything on offer.

The problem is, only two of these can be unlocked during gameplay, which means that players will have to shell out real cash to purchase the rest. With each pack coming in at a steep $7, those who want a complete collection will need to invest over $150. Worse yet, a new Bloodhound-exclusive Heirloom item can only be made available for purchase after you’ve collected the aforementioned 24 event-exclusive items, and if that wasn’t enough, this new battle axe costs a whopping 3500 coins ($35).

As you might imagine, the ridiculous pricing scheme has become the sole focus of attention over on the Apex Legends subreddit, with this post, in particular, attracting a lot of viral attention. We’re hopeful that EA and Respawn will address the backlash in due time, and hopefully, extend the event by a week or two. But for now, we’ll just have to sit patiently and wait to see how this all plays out.