The battle pass in Apex Legends is a 60 level reward track that resets twice per season, and as of November 2026 the live one is the Cipher Battle Pass Split 1 for Season 31. Everyone gets the Free track automatically, the Premium pass costs 950 Apex Coins, and the higher Ultimate and Ultimate+ tiers are bought with real money and add extra rewards, with Ultimate+ also granting 10 level skips and access to every Legend for the split. Below we explain each tier, what the Split 1 pass contains, the purchase rules that are easy to miss, and how to finish all 60 levels without burning out.
We worked from EA Help's Battle Pass article, the official Apex Legends FAQ, the Cipher Battle Pass page on ea.com and EA's Godzilla event announcement in November 2026.
How the Battle Pass Works Now
Apex Legends seasons last roughly three months and each one has two Battle Passes, one per split. When the second split begins, your Battle Pass level resets and a new pass with new rewards starts at level 1. Your account level is unaffected by this, and the XP you earn in matches counts toward both your account level and your Battle Pass level at the same time.
Each pass has a Free track and a Paid track, and each track is 60 levels long. Progress comes in Stars rather than raw XP: completing Daily and Weekly Challenges awards Stars, every Star is one tenth of a level, and when the ten slot meter fills you gain a level and the meter resets. You receive five new Daily Challenges each day and a fresh set of Weekly Challenges each week, which is why consistent short sessions are usually more efficient than one long weekend grind.
Anything you earn from a pass is yours to keep after it ends, but the reverse is also true: once a pass closes you cannot keep leveling it, and its remaining rewards are gone. That makes the split's end date the only deadline that matters.
Free, Premium, Ultimate and Ultimate+ Compared
EA Help describes four tiers across the two tracks.
- Free: included for everyone. For Cipher Split 1, the official page lists one Epic Legend skin, one Epic weapon skin, one Epic emote, seven Apex Packs and 200 Apex Coins on the free rewards.
- Premium: unlocks rewards on every one of the 60 levels. It costs 950 Apex Coins and is the only tier you can buy with Apex Coins.
- Ultimate: bought with real money in the in-game store or the official Apex Legends store. It includes the Premium rewards plus extra rewards and instant rewards on purchase.
- Ultimate+: also real money. It adds 10 level skips, makes all Legends playable for the duration of the split, and includes further rewards on top of Ultimate.
The Apex Coins point matters for budgeting. EA's currency guide says the Battle Pass is the only way to earn free Apex Coins; there is no other free source. Players who want to roll Premium passes forward with coins earned in the previous pass can only do it on the Premium tier, because Ultimate and Ultimate+ are cash only.
Ultimate+ is also a quiet value play for anyone curious about the Legends they do not own. Having every Legend unlocked for a split is a practical way to test a Legend before spending Legend Tokens on it, especially in a season where Crypto, Lifeline and Revenant all changed.
When the store advertises a pass as worth a certain number of coins, it helps to know how that figure is built. The FAQ says Battle Pass value is calculated from the store price of items of the same rarity and category, and it lists current reference prices of 1,800 Apex Coins for a Legendary cosmetic, 1,000 for an Epic and 500 for a Rare. Those values describe what similar items cost in the store, not money you get back, so judge a pass by how many of its rewards you would genuinely use rather than by the headline total.
What the Cipher Split 1 Pass Includes
The official Cipher page headlines the Paid track as "Legendary Skins, Exotic Shards, a Reactive Wingman, and more." The reactive Wingman skin is a fitting choice for a season that introduced the Akimbo Wingman, and the page highlights Paid track looks for Axle, Ash, Lifeline, Loba and Bangalore.
Exotic Shards are worth noting because they are the currency for Apex Artifacts and select Mythic melee customizations, and the Battle Pass is one of the two ways to get them; the other is buying them with real money. If you own a base Artifact, the pass slowly funds its upgrades.
Keep the pass separate from the season's packs in your head. The Cipher Seasonal Packs are a different store offer that includes the new Cryptic Core Mythic Volt as a possible drop plus seasonal skins for Crypto, Wraith, Gibraltar, Revenant and Horizon. None of those are Battle Pass rewards, and Respawn notes the Seasonal Packs are not available in all regions.
How to Finish All 60 Levels
Because levels come from challenge Stars, the pass rewards a routine more than raw hours.
- Clear dailies every day you play. Five dailies a day add up quickly, and a short session that finishes them is worth more Stars than a long session spent ignoring them.
- Reroll awkward challenges. Legend Tokens can reroll Daily Challenges, and they come from leveling your account, so the two systems feed each other.
- Stack weekly challenges by mode. Look at the full weekly list before you queue and pick the playlist that progresses the most of them at once.
- Play in a premade squad. XP still matters for your account level, and EA Help says playing with friends gives bonus XP. Our account level guide explains how the two progressions overlap.
- Use the event pass too. Event passes have their own challenges, and their rewards are separate from the main pass.
If you are also working toward Legend badges, plan your challenge sessions around the modes that count for both. Battle Royale is the one mode where kill and damage badges progress, which our 20 bomb and 4K badge guide explains.
Rules Worth Knowing Before You Buy
The official FAQ answers several questions players usually only ask after spending money.
- Buying late is not a loss. If you buy partway through, you get every reward up to your current level retroactively. With Ultimate+, you also get 10 more levels on top, so a level 20 player who buys Ultimate+ receives rewards through level 30.
- Upgrading refunds the coins. You can start with Premium and upgrade to Ultimate or Ultimate+ later; the Apex Coins spent on Premium go back to your wallet.
- Instant rewards are once per split. If you buy Ultimate and receive its instant rewards, upgrading to Ultimate+ in the same split will not grant those instant rewards a second time.
- You cannot buy past 60. Levels can only be purchased up to 60; anything beyond that for the pass badge has to be earned through play.
- Passes cannot be gifted. The FAQ is explicit that you cannot gift the Battle Pass to another player.
Coins and progress follow your EA Account across platforms, with one long standing exception: since cross progression launched, Apex Coins acquired on Nintendo hardware have been kept in a separate wallet from the shared PC, PlayStation and Xbox balance. Our cross progression guide covers that split in detail.
Event Passes: The Godzilla Event
Some events add a shorter Event Pass with its own Free and Premium tracks of 10 levels each. The current example comes with the Apex Legends Godzilla event, running from November 10 to December 1, 2026. Everyone can earn the Jet Jaguar Epic Octane skin, a tracker set, badges, Crafting Metals, event packs and XP. For 950 Apex Coins the Premium track adds the Iconic Ghidorah 1991 Catalyst skin, a Legendary Prowler skin, an Epic P2020 skin, two Epic Apex Packs, a banner frame, stickers and another tracker set.
Standard Apex Packs from the main pass also feed your Heirloom odds, since every eligible pack carries a small chance of Heirloom Shards, but event themed packs such as Collection, Thematic and Milestone Event Packs do not count toward the 500 pack bonus. Our Heirloom guide explains how that counter works.
If You Would Rather Not Farm the Pass
Sixty levels in a split is a real time commitment, and missing the deadline means losing the rewards you paid for. The store's Apex Legends Battle Pass Leveling has professional players progress the pass for you, earning its cosmetic rewards, and the product page notes a chance to pick up badges and complete other quests during the service. After purchase you are contacted for your account details and platform, and a booster is assigned.
Go to the battle pass leveling page to set the levels you need, or browse the Apex Legends services hub, which lists PlayStation, Xbox and PC.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Apex Legends battle pass?
Premium costs 950 Apex Coins. Ultimate and Ultimate+ are sold for real money, and their price depends on your region and store.
How many levels are in the Apex battle pass?
Each pass has 60 levels on both the Free and Paid tracks, and there are two passes per season, one per split.
Can you buy the Ultimate battle pass with Apex Coins?
No. Only the Premium tier can be bought with Apex Coins. Ultimate and Ultimate+ require real currency.
Do you keep battle pass rewards after the season ends?
Yes. Everything you earned stays in your account, but you cannot keep leveling a pass once it has ended.
What does Ultimate+ give you in Apex Legends?
Everything in Ultimate plus 10 level skips, all Legends playable for the duration of the split, and additional rewards.
Can I gift the Apex battle pass to a friend?
No. The official FAQ says the Battle Pass cannot be gifted to other players.