After unveiling The Human Torch and The Thing gameplay in their latest developer video, NetEase also introduced a new feature: Battle Pass Points conversion into free in-game currency.
This is a significant move from NetEase, especially given their past titles, which were plagued by microtransactions and pay-to-win mechanics. It almost feels like Marvel Rivals is so profitable that they can afford to treat their players well — which is a good thing!
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Battle Pass Tokens, or Chrono Tokens, will be converted into in-game currency, known as Units, once a season ends. However, it won't be a strict 1:1 conversion, as that would create serious economic challenges for the developers. Instead, there will be a set conversion range, as detailed in a recent leak from notable Marvel Rivals insider, X0X_Leaks.
NetEase made this decision following player complaints about excess Chrono Tokens going to waste at the end of each season, as they did not carry over. Chrono Tokens were primarily used to purchase skins and other Battle Pass rewards, and once players had collected everything, any remaining tokens became useless.
Speaking from personal experience, I accumulated 3,000 extra Chrono Tokens during Season 0, only to see them vanish when Season 1 launched.
This change will undoubtedly encourage more players to grind for Chrono Tokens, knowing they can convert them into Units for future seasons. Units serve as the game's secondary currency, used to purchase select skins from the in-game shop — when available for Unit purchases. Meanwhile, the game's premium currency, Lattice, can be converted into Units, allowing players to unlock even more skins.
NetEase’s surprisingly consumer-friendly approach to monetization has been unexpected, especially in light of recent company-wide restructuring and layoffs at their Seattle studio.
Once again, this appears to be NetEase’s attempt to regain player goodwill. Their most recent fan-friendly move before this was reversing the unpopular Mid-Season Rank Reset, which they swiftly addressed after widespread community backlash.