Last weekend Nintendo announced aFire Emblem Heroesmonthly subscription, via their Nintendo Mobile YouTube channel. The subscription titled the “feh pass” gives players five benefits for $9.49 monthly, the first of which is two Resplendent Heroes a month. Resplendent heroes already previously existing heroes with different outfits, voice-lines, animations, and a plus-two bonus to every stat category. The second benefit is new quests that reward items. The third is the ability to create three summoner-support bonds. The fourth perk called re-act is essentially an undo button allowing you to go back to the previous turn or restart the current one making different choices. Finally, the last feature is called auto-start and allows you to queue up a level multiple times and repeatedly have the gameplay for you to earn rewards and experience.
Following the addition of subscription passes inAnimal Crossing: Pocket CampandMario Kart Tour, the feh pass isn’t shocking. Especially when considering that in Nintendo’s latest earnings reports mobile games had brought in over $1 billion in lifetime revenue, withFire Emblem Heroesbringing in 61% of all mobile game revenue. Another interesting statistic is that the averageFire Emblem Heroesplayer spends over $40 dollars on the game. This was likely a key factor in Nintendo’s creation of the feh pass; clearly people are willing to spend in the game.
Unfortunately, since the subscription’s announcement,Fire Emblem Heroeshas seen aninflux in negative reviews. Complaints arising point-out that features like re-act, auto-start, and more summoner-support bonds, are quality of life features that Nintendo should have made free for everyone. The other large complaint is that the stat-boosted Resplendent heroes are pay-to-win.
Personally, I think it would be difficult to makeFire Emblem Heroespay-to-win, after all, there is no real-time PvP. Regardless of its effect on gameplay, Nintendo clearly has confidence the feh pass will sell and continue to get people into theFire Emblemseries.
2019’sFire EmblemThree Houses, has an extremely devoted fanbase and has sold over 2.5 million units making it the second-highest selling game in the franchise, in only six months. I have to assumeFire Emblem Heroeshad a lot of influence on those sales.
