Why games use their own currency
Pricing a skin at 1,200 of a game's currency does two things. It makes the real cost less obvious, and because currency comes in fixed bundles that rarely match item prices, you often end up with some left over, which nudges you towards the next purchase. None of this is secret, and it's not unique to any one game, but it's worth doing the maths once.
Example numbers only. Enter the bundle size and price you see in your store, then the item's price in the game's currency.
Battle passes, explained plainly
A battle pass is a track of unlocks you move along by playing during a season. There's usually a free track and a paid one. The questions worth asking before you buy:
- Does it expire? Marvel Rivals and Helldivers 2 passes don't, so you can finish them whenever you like. Most others end with the season.
- Does it pay currency back? Fortnite's pass returns some V-Bucks as you level it, so regular players can fund the next one.
- How much play does it assume? If finishing it needs daily sessions, it's only good value if you'd have played that much anyway.
Paid random items
Some games sell packs or boxes whose contents are random. In the UK, PEGI ratings flag them with the descriptor "In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)", shown on the box and the store page. In 2022 the UK government chose industry-led protections over new law, and in 2023 the trade body Ukie published principles for game makers. These include parental controls that stop under-18s buying paid random items without consent, and clear information about what each pack can contain.
We think paying for a random result is poor value compared with buying the item you actually want. That's why our price-honesty score marks it down. Of the ten games on our board, only Apex Legends sells random packs as a regular part of its shop.
Our ten games, side by side
| Game | How you start | Premium currency | Pass | Paid random items |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minecraft | One-off purchase | Minecoins (Bedrock Marketplace) | No battle pass | No paid random items |
| Helldivers 2 | One-off purchase | Super Credits (also found in missions) | Warbonds that never expire | No paid random items |
| Final Fantasy XIV | Free trial, then subscription | Subscription; optional Mog Station items | No battle pass | No paid random items |
| Warframe | Free to play | Platinum (tradeable between players) | Nightwave (free) | Random packs: a few packs |
| Fortnite | Free to play | V-Bucks | Seasonal battle pass; Fortnite Crew subscription | No paid random items |
| VALORANT | Free to play | VALORANT Points; Radianite for skin upgrades | Battle pass each act | No paid random items |
| Path of Exile 2 | Paid early access; free from 11 Dec 2026 | Points (shop) | No battle pass | Random packs: check listings |
| Overwatch | Free to play | Overwatch Coins; Mythic Prisms | Seasonal battle pass | No paid random items |
| Marvel Rivals | Free to play | Lattice; Units; Chrono Tokens | Battle passes that never expire | No paid random items |
| Apex Legends | Free to play | Apex Coins; Crafting Metals | Seasonal battle pass | Sells random packs |