What’s a battle pass: How it works for mobile players

A battle pass is a tiered reward system where players unlock items, currencies, and character designs by completing daily challenges and leveling up through gameplay. First introduced in 2013, the model caught on fast. Today, major titles like Call of Duty and Apex Legends — plus tons of free-to-play mobile games — use battle passes to keep things fresh and give players a reason to log in regularly.

If you love unlocking perks just for playing, download Mistplay to take that experience a step further. Through our rewarded gaming app, you’ll earn points for the time you spend playing mobile games, which you can redeem for gift cards for stores like Google Play and the Apple App Store.¹ 

To help maximize your gaming time, this guide breaks down everything you need to know about battle passes — from their origins to how they work in your favorite mobile games. Plus, we’ll highlight the best battle pass titles available right now on Mistplay.²

How a battle pass works

Source: Mech Arena

Alt text: Mech Arena’s Season 70 Battle Pass screen, which shows the rewards for progressing in the Silver and Gold Pass tracks.

So, what exactly does buying a battle pass mean in practice? Unlike a traditional console or mobile game subscription that instantly hands over all its perks, a battle pass requires you to earn rewards tier by tier. Think of it as a seasonal loyalty program with a deadline — anyone can progress through the basic rewards, but you’ve got to actively play the game and hit specific milestones to unlock everything the pass has to offer.

Here are a few common traits that explain battle passes in more detail:

• Battle pass seasons: Battle passes run for a set window, anywhere from four to 12 weeks. Once the season ends, the reward track closes, and your progress resets.
• A rewards track: The pass features a numbered progression track, often climbing upward of 50 to 100 levels. You unlock a specific reward at each level by earning experience points (XP), completing challenges, or hitting daily login milestones.
• Free and paid tiers: Most games offer a basic free tier that’s open to everyone. However, players who buy the paid tier unlock a parallel track packed with extra, higher-tier rewards.

Battle passes vs. season passes vs. subscriptions

You’ve probably seen the terms battle pass, season pass, and subscription used interchangeably, but each one gives you content in a different way. Since we’ve already broken down the battle pass, here’s what the other two terms mean:

• Season passes grant access to a bundle of new game content, such as new multiplayer maps, downloadable campaign chapters, or expansions. Unlike a battle pass, you don’t have to level up or complete challenges to unlock this content — once it drops, it’s instantly playable.
• Subscriptions are recurring monthly fees players pay to keep playing the game or to maintain access to certain premium features, like higher level caps or private player servers. Rather than unlocking tiers through gameplay, you simply pay a flat monthly rate to keep these ongoing perks active.

Where battle passes came from

Like many long-lasting gaming trends, the battle pass started with a major game developer trying to solve a problem: funding. In 2013, Valve introduced the first paid battle pass inside their hit game, Dota 2 — they called it “The Compendium” and used the proceeds to crowdfund a massive esports tournament. Instead of following the typical season pass model and giving players a static content bundle all at once, this new system offered tiered rewards to unlock over time.

While Valve proved the concept worked for special events, the format didn’t hit the mainstream until 2017, when Epic Games added it to the second season of Fortnite’s battle royale mode. Instead of funding a tournament, Epic Games used the system to keep its free-to-play game profitable and engaging month after month. The company’s version set the template that most mobile battle passes follow to this day, especially in the free-to-play market, where nearly every title uses a variation of this feature to keep players coming back.

Battle passes in mobile games

In mobile games, battle passes offer the same deep progression tracks and rewards as their PC and console counterparts, but they’re priced more modestly. Most cost $5–10, and players can often buy them using in-game currency. Mobile versions also run on shorter seasons — often just three to four weeks — meaning the passes are smaller and easier to finish during short, casual sessions.

Games with a battle pass on Mistplay

Playing games on Mistplay is a fun way to turn your downtime into real rewards. And when you choose a title with a built-in battle pass, you get the best of both worlds: Mistplay points and in-game rewards. Here are a few popular games on Mistplay that feature battle passes.²

Lords Mobile: Kingdom Wars 

Lords Mobile: Kingdom Wars is an online 4X (explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate) strategy game where you gather resources and build up an empire to take on global rivals. After the fall of the Emperor, you must upgrade structures, research new technologies, and forge alliances with other players to win guild-versus-guild wars. 

Advance through the Kingdom Labors battle pass by completing quests like collecting materials, constructing buildings, and leveling up heroes. By playing for free, you progress along the Silver Pass track to unlock guaranteed rewards like resource boosts and currency. If you want to skip the waiting, upgrade to the paid Gold Pass to earn premium speed-up for in-game construction and research.

Top War: Battle Game 

Top War: Battle Game is a 4X strategy and merge mechanics hybrid where you upgrade troops and island base structures by combining identical items together. As a commander fighting back the evil Dark Legion, you must liberate the world by recruiting legendary heroes and joining global alliances to compete in server-versus-server wars for control of the Capital Throne.

While you can progress through the game for free, the Alliance Battle Pass adds a fun way to team up with your clan to hit milestones and earn shared rewards. If you want to pocket some extra rewards along the way, upgrade to the Deluxe Pass to grab perks like rare hero shards, research materials, and island decorations as you play.

Pokémon GO

Pokémon GO is an augmented-reality game that brings Pokémon into the real world. The game tracks your live location to guide you toward nearby wild Pokémon, lead you to local landmarks for supplies, and connect you with other players for cooperative battles against oversized “Boss” Pokémon. 

Instead of a traditional linear battle pass, interactive task checklists drive your progress. Everyone gets access to seasonal Timed Research tasks and the competitive GO Battle League PvP arena, where winning matches unlocks rare items and cosmetics. For premium rewards, you can buy event-exclusive Timed Research Tickets, which unlock high-tier checklists featuring legendary Pokémon encounters.

Mech Arena

Mech Arena is a competitive third-person action game featuring several PvP modes like Control Point Clash, a 5v5 point defense mode, and Hangar Showdown, a 2v2 elimination match. The game tracks the power of your arsenal of mechs, weapons, and pilots to pair you with similarly kitted-out opponents.

To speed up your upgrades for free, jump into the seasonal Silver Pass and play matches to unlock basic crates and resources. Upgrading to the premium Gold Pass cuts down on the daily resource grind, giving you faster access to specialized pilots, implants, and the currency needed to customize your mechs.

Other games with battle passes worth knowing about (Not on Mistplay)

You’ll find battle passes in several popular mobile games. While these titles aren’t currently available on Mistplay, their pass systems are worth knowing about:

• Asphalt Legends: A fast-paced racing game with a Legends Pass that offers blueprint loot, upgrade currencies, and exclusive parts to trick out your cars
• Call of Duty: Mobile: A competitive multiplayer shooter with a Premium Pass that offers weapon upgrades, rare skins, and enough currency to fund future upgrades
• PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) Mobile: A battle royale game with a Royale Pass that offers seasonal currencies, premium gear, and creative cosmetics to outfit your custom characters
• Fortnite: A battle royale game with a Battle Pass that offers exclusive character skins, emotes, and enough in-game currency to buy next season’s pass for free

Fund your next battle pass with Mistplay rewards

Upgrading your seasonal tracks doesn’t have to cost you out of pocket. When you play mobile games through Mistplay, you’ll earn points you can redeem for Google Play or App Store gift cards.¹ Because you can use those gift cards on any in-app purchase, they can fully fund your next battle pass — essentially letting you use your playtime in one game to pay for the premium track of another. 

For example, play Pokémon GO or Mech Arena through Mistplay to rack up points, redeem a mobile storefront gift card, and use that credit toward the Call of Duty: Mobile Premium Battle Pass. No matter which seasonal pass you choose to tackle, Mistplay lets your playtime help pick up the tab.

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Ready to start fueling your favorite games? Download Mistplay today, and turn your daily gaming sessions into gift cards for premium seasonal rewards.

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¹Gift cards may vary by region. Merchants do not endorse and are not affiliated with Mistplay.

²Games mentioned are for illustrative purposes, and selection may vary per region.

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