One of the surefire ways developers make a profit from many games, especially free-to-play titles, is through seasonal battle passes. While battles passes have existed for a number of years now, it was Fortnite that really set the precedent and trend in free-to-play games. For the uninitiated, battles passes are typically paid content bundles that constantly give you something to unlock and work towards as you complete quests and play the game.
Like any monetization practice, not all battle passes are created equal. Some battles passes are a major grind and can take up your entire life in order to unlock every goodie along its progression path. This list will highlight some of the games that offer the best battle pass content overall, while also keeping in mind the level of tedium that some of them have attached to their progression paths. Like them or dislike them, battles passes are here to stay for the long haul.
8 Fortnite (Battle Pass)
Battles passes and Fortnite are pretty much synonymous at this point. Fortnite is the game that made battle passes the mainstream source of income for free-to-play games, eschewing toxic loot boxes, in favor of item transparency. Fortnite’s battle pass has been around since early in Chapter One and has evolved a lot along the way.
Fortnite’s battle passes always feature a handful of unique skins that can only be earned during that season, along with pickaxes, music packs, gliders, and emotes. While the battle passes still feature some sprays, something that players rarely use, the majority of the goodies are fun and useful. Plus, the grind to level 100 is fair and rewards you simply for playing.
7 Rocket League (Rocket Pass)
Fortunately, Rocket League ditched its loot box style mechanics and frustrating random blueprints in favor of a more transparent monetization system, namely, that of the season Rocket Pass. Considering Rocket League is now owned by Epic Games, it’s no surprise they quickly adopted the whole battle pass rewards path.
The Rocket Pass is tied to specific in-game seasons and offers you quite the cornucopia of fun unlockables in order to stand out from the pack. Easily the best goodies to obtain are the unique, seasonal cars and the vehicle wraps. Typically these cosmetics add extra flourish and flair to your standard rocket-powered car. Plus, you can even get boost trails and hats, the latter of which dial-up the goofiness factor of each match.
6 Knockout City (Brawl Pass)
Knockout City might just be one of the most underrated multiplayer games that you can play and enjoy right now. This dodgeball battler is equal parts over-the-top and strategic. Like the other games on this list, Knockout City thrives with its various in-game purchasing systems such as a shop, a free leveling system, and the Brawl Pass.
The Brawl Pass is a pretty standard battle pass where you simply earn experience, level up, and gain new rewards. Where it differs is in the quality of its rewards. From super flashy and unique outfits to outlandish hairstyles, and plenty of Holobucks (in-game currency), you are constantly swapping out your goodies to see which ones you love the most on your avatar.
5 Dead By Daylight (The Archives – Tomes)
Dead by Daylight, the asymmetrical multiplayer horror game, has a boatload of content, mostly down to the fact that the game has thrived with a commuted community for the better part of half a decade. Dead by Daylight’s version of battle passes are known as Tomes, which lie within The Archives part of the game.
Tomes are seasonal reward paths that are tied to completing specific killer or survivor challenges in-game. The rewards are pretty standard in that they give you outfits, currency, and character baubles. For better or worse, the Tomes can take quite a while to progress through, again, because they are tied to completing specific objectives to gain experience.
4 Ninjala (Ninjala Pass)
If you haven’t heard of Ninjala, it’s a frenetic and fun online multiplayer battle on Nintendo Switch. You, of course, play as one of the various cartoony ninja characters who duke it out across some zany stages, trying to be the one to make it out on top as the best competitor.
Ninjala’s battle pass is simply known as the Ninjala Pass. This battle pass is special because you are able to unlock a bevy of rewards on the free track if you opt to not pay for the premium track. Of course, the best rewards such as weapons and skins are a part of the premium track, but there is still a lot to enjoy if you do want to pay a single dime.
3 Genshin Impact (Battle/Event Pass)
Genshin Impact needs to introduction as it has quickly become the best, most polished free-to-play experience in all of gaming. What makes Genshin Impact so special is that it is constantly being updated with new content, rewards, and the game’s version of a battle pass, here known as an Event Pass.
These seasonal Event Passes unlock after surpassing Adventurer Rank 20, at which point you can begin receiving experience to progress through the rewards that are tied to either a basic pass or a special Gnostic Hymn pass. You will obtain various in-game rewards at each tier, depending on which one you choose.
2 Fall Guys (Fame Path)
Despite still being a PlayStation console exclusive, Fall Guys has managed to thrive all throughout its various in-game seasons. Fall Guys is widely recognized as one of the most consumer-friendly games, mostly because of how easy it is to obtain the various rewards and shop items from Kudos (the in-game currency).
Fall Guys is quite remarkable and player-friendly in that it gives you the entirety of its battle pass, known as the Fame Path, completely for free. Yep, you can earn all of the rewards, from outfits to banners to Kudos, simply by playing the game as you regularly would. It’s a fantastic free system that encourages you to play without breaking your wallet.
1 Brawlhalla (Battle Pass)
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Brawlhalla has amassed a wonderful and thriving community over the last few years. Brawlhalla is essentially a Super Smash Bros. style game but set in a colorful, cartoon-like 2d world. Brawlhalla is no slouch when it comes to in-game goodies to purchase and earn. From new characters to skins to weapons, and even totems and celebrations, Brawlhalla keeps you invested with its progression.
This becomes especially true in the game’s various season battle passes. These battle passes are quite standard where you earn experience which in turn gives you orbs to put towards leveling it up, with challenges and objectives adding extra orbs. Gain enough orbs and you level up the path. Expect to grind quite a bit in these battle passes, however, the rewards are tangible and fun to unlock.
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