Apex Legends’ Final Fantasy 7 event has some cool cosmetics, but one of them could set you back more than $300

Apex Legends’ Final Fantasy 7 crossover is kicking things off tomorrow, but players are frustrated over some costly cosmetics and potential use of AI in the event’s ads.

As of tomorrow, you’ll be able to pick up some pretty cool-looking Final Fantasy 7 themed cosmetics in Apex Legends, the game’s first collaboration event with another IP, obviously tying into February’s release of Rebirth. This latest event has 36 new items you can pick up through event packs, i.e. loot boxes, which also includes six “Iconic” skins. Like most loot box items, you can’t buy any of them outright.

Normally, events also feature an heirloom item that you unlock after getting everything else that’s available, which can cost you around $160, at least in most previous events anyway. However, this time around, the heirloom item, a skin that looks like the iconic Buster Sword, is available in the event packs. As some fans have worked out, you’ll probably need to buy at least 36 packs, amounting to at least $360, as the odds of getting the skin are so low you’ll need to buy that many packs (thanks GamesRadar).

There is actually a unique item that you only get after acquiring all 36 items, a One-Winged Angel-themed death box, meaning that you’ll likely have to spend quite a bit of bob to come away from the event with access to the skin. One user on TikTok even went so far as to list all of the things you could buy instead of all those event packs, like a Nintendo Switch, or a couple of therapy sessions.

On top of all that, Respawn is also facing criticism over alleged use of AI in the trailer for the collaboration event. You can see that some of the characters’ designs look a bit off on closer inspection, though some suggest that it was just footage of the game put through some kind of AI filter rather than it being outright AI-generated. Either way, a bit of a bummer, as the use of AI is a growing trend in tech spaces that is honestly just insulting to the hard work of countless artists. Maybe let’s not rip off players and use technology that undermines artists, shall we EA executives?