You know what sucks? Season passes don’t seem all that great, except when one of them suddenly is. Here’s the thing about game DLC. Sometimes, a title gets some really cool extra stuff, and you want all of it. Then, paying a lower price for everything at once isn’t crazy, it’s fiscally responsible. It may be popular to hate on the season passes when they’re first announced, but the wise player waits until the add-ons starts rolling in to judge.
A good rule of thumb is to wait. A little bit of patience never hurt anybody. There could be a game that you know will be amazing. Star Wars Battlefront has promising buzz surrounding it, and Fallout 4 seems like a solid title to back. Rather than jumping in immediately, though, waiting until at least the first add-on is released could work in your favor.
Here’s why. Sometimes, season passes are substantially cheaper than the add-ons separately or offer an added incentive. The BioShock Infinite add-ons are $14.99 each, unless you get the season pass. Then, it’s $19.99 for all three. That’s an incredible deal. Star Wars Battlefront ‘s $49.99 season pass may sound crazy, but it will include 4 expansions and two week early access to each one. Check out the first impressions of the first one or two add-ons, then opt in to start competing early and get an edge on the new territories. It ends up making sense.
Besides, it isn’t like season passes are always coming in at $29.99 and $49.99. If you’re willing to wait, as I advised above, you can get yourself a deal. People forget that it’s possible to find season passes on sale or secondhand too, just like games. As an example, I ended up getting a friend who already had Borderlands 2 the season pass for only $10. Not bad, considering it’s normally $29.99, and the four campaign add-ons and upgrade pack are $44.95 outside of the pack.
It’s even possible to get used season passes. Some people buy special editions of games that include the season passes, but then don’t redeem them. Or maybe they somehow have a pass, but it’s less appealing than they thought. If you can find someone reputable through a site like eBay, you could get a discount on an unredeemed code. CheatCC’s Editor-in-Chief, Jason Messer, managed to get a secondhand code for WWE 2K15 ‘s season pass for $5. It’s normally $24.99.
Season passes can be unfair, and it isn’t smart to buy one ahead of a game’s launch. You don’t even want to get it immediately after a game launches. But, if you’re willing to be patient, a season pass can eventually turn into a smart decision. When a sale or secondhand pass comes around, you could find yourself getting a lot of DLC for very little money.