Apex Legends is set to to double its battle passes per season, and make them only available for real money - naturally, players are fuming

EA has announced plans to essentially split Apex Legends' battle passes in two, meaning there'll now be two shorter ones per season. Oh, and they'll also only be avialable for real money, rather than being purchasable using Apex Coins. Players aren't fans of these proposed changes, as you'd expect.

The plans, which are currently slated to kick off with Season 22, were outlined in a blog post. Basically, the gist is that rather than one season-long battle pass as has been the case up until now, the game will offer two half-season ones, with one kicking off the season and another taking over at its halfway point.

The big sticking point is that this switch is being deployed alongside another big one - battle passes will no longer be buyable using in-game Apex points, instead each costing $9.99 each that you won't have the option to simply earn by playing the game.

For context, while the battle passes previously cost 950 Apex Coins - with a bundle of 1000 points setting you back that familiar figure of $9.99 - it was possible to basically earn those points just by progressing through each battle pass, allowing you to buy the next one without having to blow through your real life savings.

Respawn has had a go at providing an explanation as to why these and the other changes outlined in the post are necessary, writing: "We've seen the numbers, and things need to be more tangible and realistic for our global community. Each of these updated aspects makes the Battle Pass more accessible and valuable for your time and money. The reward should always be worth the time you spend in the Outlands, and that's the case now."

"The decision to move from AC to real currency was not an easy one, but it allows us to lower the price of Premium+ for our community," it adds, "The new Premium+ Battle Pass is €19.99 and offers additional value, despite being 29% less than the discontinued Premium Battle Pass bundle for 2,800 AC. And what happens if you buy the Battle Pass and then unlock it? Well, you get 1,000 AC back."

Regardless, players have made it clear how they feel, with the game's recent Steam reviews already having sunk to "Mixed" and the game's subreddit being full of folks saying that the changes have led them to uninstall the game, severely affected the trust they have in Respawn to make what they percieve as the right decisions when it comes to Apex, and even outlining in detail plans they believe will be effective in terms of protesting the changes.

A thumbs down, then. Let us know what you think of these planned battle pass changes below.