Whenever a free-to-play game releases, there’s always the question of how that game makes money, and it almost always goes back to a point of contention: microtransactions. Is Apex Legends free? Yes, but it still has the microtransactions that dominant the F2P landscape, and while the content barred by these microtransactions isn’t really pay-to-win for the most part, there are a couple notable game-affecting purchases to be aware of. In this guide, we break down the loot boxes and microtransactions of Apex Legends and what’s available for players to access with these systems.
In-Game Currencies
There are three forms of in-game currency in Apex Legends. Two of them are earned through play and the last one must be bought as a microtransaction.
Legend Coins
This currency is very specifically earned through playing the game and leveling up your Player Legend. Every time you level up, you get an Apex Pack and Legend Coins. Apex Legends has an in-game shop that swaps out items regularly. You can use these Coins to purchase items in that shop, but it’s also one of two ways to purchase new Legends (the characters in the game).
Crafting Materials
Crafting materials are a special currency awarded very specifically through opening Apex Packs from leveling up your Player Legend. The amount you get from the Apex Pack depends on the rarity of the drop. We’ve gotten 10 out of a common drop before, but the highest-tier (and rarest by far) drop will award a bountiful 600 Crafting Materials to work with. These Materials are mostly in cosmetic customization. You can buy character and gun skins, profile cards and banners, various kill and intro phrases, and special finishing moves to make your Legend your own Crafting Materials.
Apex Coins
This is the purchasable premium currency of Apex Legends. There’s no way to earn Apex Coins in-game. They must be bought with real money, but they’re the fastest and easiest route to most of the locked content in the game. You can use Apex Coins to buy Legends, Apex Packs, or items in the rotating store (instead of using Legend Coins).
What These Currencies Can Buy
For the most part, the Legend Coins, Crafting Materials, and Apex Coins in Apex Legends give you access to the same things you can buy in the likes of Fortnite and Overwatch. Apex Packs are a grab bag and Crafting Materials allow you to zero in on skins, phrases, or player card customization that appeals to you. There is one particular wall right now that Apex Legends has that those other games don’t though.
Mirage and Caustic Must Be Bought Or Earned
There are two of the overall eight legends that are put behind a barrier of purchase. You have to unlock Caustic and Mirage. The cost of doing so is a steep grind in game. It takes 12,000 Legend Coins a piece to crack each character open without spending a dime. For reference, you earn about 600 Legend Coins per level and the experience increase per level means it will be quite a while before you get even one of them, and it will take longer to get the other.
The fast track to these two characters is Apex Coins. They cost 750 a piece. The lowest purchase of them will get you 1000 Coins at $9.99 USD while 19.99 will get you 2150 Coins to pick them both up as well as some Apex Packs. Either way, that’s the decision you have to make. Are you going to grind through level 20 (easily) to collect enough Legend Coins to buy one character or just buy them both outright? It’s the one purchase in the game that matters in terms of what you have available to you in gameplay in Apex Legends.
That said, it could also easily be argued that there are “better” characters right now. Many players enjoy Wraith and prefer the character. Popular battle royale streamer Jack "CouRage" Dunlop seems to do well on her.
Bro WOW. I am fried. Another 10+ hour stream in the books.
— Jack "CouRage" Dunlop (@CouRageJD) February 6, 2019
Sitting at 35 wins and 450 kills on Wraith.
I’m so tired. Goodnight, friends.
Apex Legends is a young game just coming out of the gate and, by all accounts, a pretty good one. Even with two of its characters being trapped behind a pay-or-grind system, the rest of the cast is a good array of characters to play with without spending a dime. You can score some lucky goods off of Apex Packs or craft the ones you want with enough time and effort. Of course, in the end, when the only things you can currently buy are cosmetics and two extra characters that don’t break the game, it can be rationally argued that it’s not “pay-to-win”. It will be interesting to see how Apex Legends evolves with new content and characters, but for now, it truly does seem free-to-play.
Want to figure out what character would suit you best, or if Mirage and Caustic are worth your grind? Be sure to check out our guide to all of the characters and their abilities.
