A battle pass is a reward track that lasts one season, usually somewhere between a few weeks and a few months. You earn experience by playing and finishing challenges, and every tier you reach pays out a reward, mostly cosmetics. Most passes have a free track anyone can collect and a premium track you pay for once per season. A premium pass is worth it if you’ll reach most of its tiers just by playing the way you already do. It’s a bad deal if you’ll stop halfway, or if finishing means grinding every day.
How does a battle pass work? #
The basic parts are the same in almost every game:
- A season. The pass runs for a fixed period, then resets with new rewards.
- Tiers. A numbered track, often 50 to 100 steps long, each with a reward.
- Experience. You earn it from matches, and faster from daily and weekly challenges.
- Two tracks. The free track has fewer or plainer rewards. The premium track adds the good ones.
- Tier skips. Most games sell extra tiers if you’re running out of time.
- An expiry date. When the season ends, anything you didn’t reach is gone.
| Free track | Premium track | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Nothing | One purchase per season |
| Rewards | Some tiers, basic items | Every tier, the best cosmetics |
| Premium currency | Sometimes a little | Often, occasionally enough to buy the next pass |
| Progress | Counts toward both tracks | Pays out rewards for tiers you already reached |
That last row matters. In most games your progress counts toward the premium track even before you buy it, so buying late gives you every premium reward you’ve already passed.
Where did battle passes come from? #
The idea started with Valve. Dota 2’s “Compendium” for The International tournament in 2013 let players buy a digital program that grew as they played, and Valve later turned it into the International Battle Pass. Team Fortress 2 had campaign passes in 2015.
Fortnite made it mainstream. It introduced its battle pass in its second season, and on the first day of season three in February 2018, Epic sold more than five million passes. Mobile games followed quickly. Today you’ll find versions in PUBG Mobile (the Royale Pass), Clash Royale (Pass Royale), Brawl Stars (the Brawl Pass), Clash of Clans (the Gold Pass) and Call of Duty: Mobile, among many others.
Why are battle passes so hard to put down? #
A battle pass is a progression system with a deadline, and it uses several well-known effects at once.
A progress bar you can always see #
People push harder as they get close to a goal, which psychologists call the goal-gradient effect. A pass shows you exactly how far you are from the next reward and from the end, so “one more match” always seems reasonable.
Money already spent #
Once you’ve paid for the premium track, not finishing feels like wasting the money. That’s the sunk-cost effect, and it’s why the weeks after buying are when people play most.
A deadline #
Rewards you don’t reach by the end of the season are gone for good. We cover how countdowns change your decisions in limited-time offers in mobile games.
Daily and weekly challenges #
Challenges give you a reason to log in every day, which is how a pass turns into a habit. Miss a week and you fall behind, and falling behind feels worse than never starting.
A shortcut at the end #
When you’re a few tiers short with two days left, the game offers to sell you the rest. It’s the most expensive way to finish.
None of these is a trick on its own. Progress bars and goals are part of why games are satisfying. It’s the combination with money and deadlines that makes passes so effective, and our look at why mobile games are so addictive goes deeper into the same effects.
Is a battle pass worth buying? A quick test #
- Did you finish last season’s free track? If you didn’t, the premium track won’t change that.
- How much do you really play? Many passes are designed around playing most days. Compare that with your usual week, not your best one.
- Do you want these specific rewards? Scroll the whole track before paying. If only one or two items appeal, see whether they’re sold on their own later.
- Does it pay back currency? Some premium tracks return enough premium currency to buy the next season’s pass if you finish. For a regular player, that makes it close to a one-time cost.
- Can you buy it late? Usually yes, with rewards for tiers you’ve already reached. Waiting until you’re halfway through the season is the safest way to know you’ll finish.
- Will you be tempted by tier skips? If you tend to buy your way to the end, add that to the real price.
If you play daily and like the rewards, a pass is often the best value in a free game. If you play in bursts, skip it and enjoy the free track.
Battle pass vs other ways to pay #
| What you buy | What you know before paying | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Battle pass | Every reward on the track | Not finishing in time |
| Direct shop item | Exactly the item | Overpaying for one thing |
| Loot box or gacha pull | Only the odds | Getting nothing you wanted |
| Premium game | The whole game | Not liking it |
A pass is more transparent than a loot box, since you can see every reward in advance, but it asks for your time as well as your money. Our explainer on loot boxes and gambling covers the random side.
Games without a battle pass #
Plenty of games give you long-term goals with no season clock. Flappy Kittens is one. There’s no pass and no seasons. Your progress comes from medals on the game-over screen, from bronze at a score of 8 to diamond at 100, and from 17 trophies that each pay out fish. The fish buy cats and worlds that stay in the shop for good, and the shop runs on fish, not money. You can take a month off and nothing expires. Our full list of Flappy Kittens achievements shows every goal.
Frequently asked questions #
Is a battle pass pay-to-win? #
Usually not. Most passes sell cosmetics. Some mobile games do put boosts or powerful items on the premium track, though, so read the rewards before you buy.
What happens when the season ends? #
Anything you earned stays in your account. Tiers you didn’t reach are gone, and a new pass with new rewards starts.
Can you buy a battle pass late and still get the rewards? #
In most games, yes. Your progress counts from the start of the season, and buying the premium track later gives you every premium reward for the tiers you’ve already passed.
Why is it called a battle pass? #
The name comes from Valve’s International Battle Pass for Dota 2, and Fortnite made it the standard term. Some games use their own names, like Royale Pass or Gold Pass.
Are battle passes a good idea for kids? #
They can be, since you know exactly what’s included. The pressure is the daily grind near the deadline. Agree on one pass per season at most, and switch off event reminders if the deadline starts causing stress.