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Battle Pass

Pricing and Revenue-Structure Models

In the video game industry, a battle pass, also called a rewards track, is a monetization business model that provides additional content for a game through a tiered system, rewarding players with in-game items for playing and completing specific challenges. Inspired by the season pass ticketing system and originating with Dota 2 in 2013, the battle pass model spread in the late 2010s as an alternative to subscription fees and loot boxes, and typically offers a free pass available to everyone alongside a premium pass, requiring a seasonal or annual charge, that unlocks enhanced items and cosmetics. Individual games sometimes give the model their own name, such as Rocket League's Rocket Pass or PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds' Survivor Pass.

Facts
Core Mechanism
A monetization approach offering a tiered rewards track of in-game items unlocked as the player completes challenges and plays the game over a season, typically sold alongside a free tier available to all players. 1
Origin Year
2013 1
Connections

Associated With

Free-to-play, Business Models

The battle pass, a tiered set of unlockable rewards earned through play or purchased outright, is a monetization structure used predominantly within free-to-play video games.

Sources
1. Wikipedia, Battle Pass
Wikipedia
  • Introduction, Dota 2 2013 origin
    Inspired by the season pass ticketing system and originating with Dota 2 in 2013, the battle pass model gained more use as an alternative to subscription fees and loot boxes beginning in the late 2010s.
  • Opening definition paragraph
    a battle pass or rewards track is a type of monetization approach that provides additional content for a game usually through a tiered system, rewarding the player with in-game items for playing the game and completing specific challenges.
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