As a seasoned professional gamer, I've witnessed many shifts in the gaming landscape, but the recent turmoil surrounding Apex Legends in 2025 feels like watching a beloved city crumble overnight. Steam reviews for the game have turned "Overwhelmingly Negative," a stark contrast to its once-thriving reputation, leaving players like myself grappling with a sense of abandonment. This descent into disarray stems from Respawn Entertainment and EA's decision to overhaul core systems, specifically the removal of Apex Coins for purchasing the Battle Pass in Season 22. From my own experience, this move has transformed the game from a communal haven into a corporate fortress, where every update now reeks of profit-driven motives rather than player-first design. It's as if the developers have taken a golden goose and force-fed it steroids, only to watch it lay eggs that crack under pressure—a bizarre, unsettling metaphor for how monetization can corrupt even the most successful ventures.
The heart of the controversy lies in the abrupt changes announced just last year. Players could no longer use Apex Coins to buy the Battle Pass, a system that had been a staple since the game's inception. Respawn claimed this shift was based on community feedback and aimed to enhance the battle pass's value, but as someone who's logged over 500 hours in Apex Legends, I call BS. It felt like swapping a reliable compass for a broken GPS—suddenly, navigating the game became disorienting and frustrating. 😡 This decision wasn't made in isolation; it came on the heels of EA's revelation that Apex Legends had raked in over $3 billion in its first five years, despite being free-to-play. Imagine building a skyscraper on foundations of gold, only to start charging admission for the elevators—that's how jarring this monetization pivot appears to dedicated fans. The backlash has been fierce, with gamers review-bombing Steam, flooding it with negative feedback to voice their discontent over what they see as betrayal.
Digging deeper, the player discontent boils down to several key issues, which I've organized for clarity:
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Monetization Overload: Many feel EA and Respawn are squeezing players dry, turning the game into a cash cow rather than a fun experience. From my perspective, this is akin to a once-thriving garden being paved over for a parking lot—it erodes the soul of the community.
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Lack of Transparency: Despite Respawn's history of openness, this change felt opaque, leaving us in the dark. As a player, I remember the days when updates felt collaborative; now, they're handed down like decrees.
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Profit vs. Passion: With $3 billion in revenue, why the need for such drastic measures? It's baffling, especially when the game's player count has fluctuated. Some speculate it's due to declining numbers, but others, including myself, worry that the passion is fading.
To illustrate the shift, here's a comparison of the game's review status over recent months:
| Time Period | Steam Review Status | Key Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Season 22 (2024) | Mostly Positive | Minor updates and events |
| Post-Season 22 (Late 2024) | Overwhelmingly Negative | Battle Pass coin change |
| Current (2025) | Still Negative | Continued player protests |
This backlash isn't just about money; it's about trust. Players believe that after such staggering profits, EA should be reinvesting in quality, not nickel-and-diming loyal fans. Respawn has rolled out new updates to show they're still passionate—like recent map expansions and character balances—but it's a double-edged sword. For instance, adding fresh content feels like polishing a tarnished trophy; it shines briefly, but the underlying neglect remains glaring. 🎮 Another metaphor that resonates is the game becoming a puppet show where the puppeteers are invisible, pulling strings from behind a curtain of corporate greed, leaving us players as mere spectators in our own narratives.
As we move forward in 2025, the lingering question is: Will the developers ever bridge this gap and restore faith, or is this the new normal for live-service games?