The Battle Pass will cost 1,000 Platinum (about $10, if you're paying outright). You can also pay to advance levels for 200 Platinum (about $2) if you're just that impatient. You can also expect significant changes to the existing progression system. You'll no longer earn new Backpacks or Chests, for instance, and id is adjusting free-to-earn Shards so that they'll unlock items and new characters.

The update won't just revolve around economics. The creators are reviving Capture the Flag after a long absence in the Quake franchise, and there's a new CTF-focused map (Citadel) launching at the same time.

Champions' progression change isn't surprising. The game has been free-to-play for a while, but you've typically had to pay if you wanted to unlock many of the fighters (you could also pay to unlock all of them at once). A Fortnite-like Battle Pass not only provides a steadier stream of money for the developers, it gives you an incentive to keep playing. With that said, not everyone is happy -- there are concerns among players that the team is more interested in ways to monetize the game than addressing technical issues and adding more raw content.