Marvel Rivals’ excellent approach to Battle Pass rewards should be something that other live service games copy immediately.
As someone who enjoys live-service games like Overwatch 2 and Fortnite, I won’t lie—I am a victim of FOMO when it comes to exclusive skins and cosmetics from the Battle Pass.
Even when I don’t really care about particular cosmetics, I can’t help but think I might suddenly change my mind and regret not getting them while they were still around. I’m sure I’m not alone in that feeling either.
Initially, I was worried that would be the same case with Marvel Rivals and that I would have to add another live service game to grind. However, when I saw the December 4 blog post detailing how monetization works, I was pleasantly surprised to see developers outright avoiding FOMO tactics.
Marvel Rivals’ anti-FOMO Battle Pass should be a staple in games
Devs have just revealed that rewards from the Battle Pass you purchase won’t go anywhere, even if you don’t manage to complete the pass during its respective season.
There’s no deadline where you have to ensure everything has been unlocked before they’re gone away forever. So, you can always redeem them later in future seasons at your own pace.
I was beyond thrilled when I first discovered this. Even though the game isn’t out yet at the time of writing, I feel like I just fell in love with it even more, and I’m not alone as thousands have echoed this sentiment across social media.
Many live service games today have Battle Passes tied to each season—and in some cases, multiple passes can be available during the same period of time.
While it’s true that Battle Passes in games do include a bunch of cosmetics, the problem with them is that they also give you a kind of mental pressure.
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In my experience as a player, this feeling has often led to me getting burnt out from having to grind the game for the sake of leveling up the passes before they’re gone forever.
Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy playing most of the time, but if I have to use a character or weapon or play a mode that I don’t enjoy for the fourth time just to squeeze a chunk of XP, things can get tiring real quick.
Video games should be played however players enjoy most, and Marvel Rivals is already setting up an excellent example of this.
Their approach to the Battle Pass rewards is basically a win-win situation for everyone. Players who finish the pass in time can get their rewards early, while those who don’t always have the luxury to play right away are free to take their time.
Chances are people would be more willing to stick around if they don’t have to worry about missing out on anything and don’t feel pressured to grind.
This approach would be healthy for the community, too. Imagine not having to see people argue over getting Battle Pass skins to return or players flaming others for ‘gatekeeping.’
FOMO sucks. As a casual player, nothing beats the enjoyment of playing the game at my own pace instead of treating it as an XP grind simulator to unlock the limited-time cosmetics from the Battle Pass.
