PUBG’s progression pass improves the game even if it leaves people out

It’s the year of the progression pass, and that’s a refreshing change as we come off the years of the loot box. These are events where players can level up to unlock cosmetic items by completing special challenges — and if you pay for the premium version, you get to progress even faster and unlock even more. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is one the latest games to incorporate this business model into its meta experience. I’ve spent some time with its Sanhok Event Pass. And it sure is one of those things.

You’re going to start seeing progression passes a lot more frequently in the future. Fortnite broke the seal and made them into a regular occurrence in the console and PC space, and now developer PUBG Corp. and Rocket League studio Psyonix are rushing to offer something similar. These companies are adding a premium leveling system because players have signaled that they want it, and they’re right — at least when it comes to me. I like the idea of working toward something from match to match even if I’m on a losing streak. That makes me want to play more, and I’m willing to occasionally pay to get the best version of that.