Ranking Battle Passes I Played This Year

If there’s one thing I noticed about a lot of games I played this year, it was the prevalence of battle passes. I honestly hadn’t had much experience with them aside from my time playing Apex Legends. Since a few of these sucked me in for a while with dailies and limited content, I figured I would rank them. We’ll start with the ones I liked the least because I do enjoy ending on a good note when possible.

Overwatch 2 – $9.99

This should come as no surprise if you’ve seen it yourself or read about it. The original Overwatch helped push the popularity of loot boxes and there’s no denying that it could promote a bit of gambling for those that needed a certain skin. At the same time, there was at least an argument that they came at a regular cadence and gave you multiple items. Factor in the RNG and that the content had no effect on gameplay and you have a system that doesn’t feel too cheap.

Overwatch 2 went F2P and ditched the loot boxes for a battle pass system. Unfortunately, many are ranking it as one of the worst and I have to agree with that. Tying a new hero to it is the exact opposite value of the original game releasing them for free. Making matters worse is how slow leveling up takes and how bloated it feels with what I personally think is a lot of mediocre at best content. Having no way to earn premium credits to buy the next battle pass aside from a meager 60 a week through weekly challenges is the icing on top of a bad-tasting experience.

Gundam Evolution – $9.99

Moving on to something similar, Gundam Evolution is a lot like the original Overwatch but with units from the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise. I had a lot of fun with it while playing the network test. However, I was unsure of how the battle pass would feel.

I debated whether I think this battle pass here is actually better or worse than Overwatch 2, and I think it’s just a little less egregious. What is arguably worst is that new units introduced during the same season are tied to the shop, so even if you have the battle pass you won’t be unlocking a new unit. Moving up the battle pass can be a bit of a grind too, especially if you don’t pay for the premium pass and unlock more challenges. The good news is that the free track provides enough credits to unlock one unit while the premium track has enough premium credits to unlock the next battle pass.

Fall Guys – $7.99

Just like Overwatch, Fall Guys started off as a paid title before transitioning into a F2P game and expanding to more platforms earlier this year. As a part of this change, it brought a lot of changes such as new currencies, daily/weekly challenges, and a battle pass.

While I have problems with the general monetization and the idea of a rotating mini-game pool, I feel alright with the battle pass itself. It provides enough credits (and then some) to buy the next battle pass and if you’re playing regularly enough it isn’t too much of a grind to level up. It also provides a decent amount of costumes when compared to how much they’re typically charged for in the shop.

Halo Infinite – $8.99

If there’s anything on this list that has fluctuated the most, it’s Halo Infinite. The community has put 343 Industries through the wringer for the horrendous state that the multiplayer launched and has mostly remained in. A solid portion of the complaints has also been flung toward bad monetization practices as well. The only unique and consumer-friendly aspect was that battle passes didn’t expire at the end of each season and players could choose which to level up with.

One year later, it seems like Halo Infinite could be turning around. Earning premium currency was introduced in the second season. Basic match experience was just recently added with the Winter Update, which is also featuring a free battle pass. The December update at the beginning of this month also brought in a lot of great bug fixes and high-priority content. Even though the shop is unappealing and I don’t have a lot of hope that they’ll stop separating armor pieces to pad out the length of the battle pass anytime soon, the potential is there for it to stand out in a great way.

Pokémon Unite – $7.99

It may be only available on Nintendo Switch and mobile devices, but Pokémon Unite certainly isn’t without its fans. Aside from creating a fun and casual MOBA, the development team behind this also take full advantage of just how adorable giving costumes to Pokémon is. Seriously, no one can deny that being able to play as Snorlax in pajamas or Blastoise in a firefighter outfit is just a wonderful idea.

This battle pass is easy to go through, and as a casual player I’m always surprised to find myself near the end. Aside from various resources, its premium track offers two themed skins for Pokémon and other items for your avatar. It has continued to evolve over time as well with the current offering being doubled in length, albeit with only a couple of avatar costume sets spaced out across ten levels. I’m hoping they fill out that second half a bit more, but it still feels like a decent deal without triggering FOMO too much.

Genshin Impact – $9.99

Genshin Impact is one of the more interesting ones on this list as it’s the only one that isn’t PvP. It’s an action RPG that can be experienced by yourself or with friends. There are things to buy or attempt gacha rolls for between characters, weapons, and resources, but the core of the game can be played without spending a cent.

Most games with a battle pass are also offering a lot of rewards exclusively through it or in a shop. All the free items and content in general here are fulfilling enough that you’re not necessarily going to feel as if you’re missing out by not buying it. Interestingly enough, each battle pass period is also packed with the same amount of resources and choice between five weapons. Some variety could probably go a long way with the weapons, but the reasons for buying the pass are less for FOMO and more for personal convenience. For that very reason, I have to rank it as the highest.