Recently, a player's complaint about the real-time service game pass mechanism posted in the Reddit community has caused widespread resonance, and the words are full of fatigue and helplessness about the current game mechanism: after purchasing the pass, the daily mandatory online becomes a fixed task, for fear of wasting the money invested, and the setting of invalidating when the time expires is more like an invisible whip, which beats the freedom and fun that the game should have to pieces. This feeling of being forced to play by the mechanism has accurately hit the pain points of countless players.

該玩家以親身經歷點評多款熱門遊戲的通行證設計，勾勒出行業內截然不同的生態圖景。《無畏契約》因每日需耗費一個多小時完成繁瑣任務 —— 從 “爆頭五次” 到 “使用 30 次技能”，被貼上 “史上最差” 標籤，機械重複的打卡式任務讓玩家身心俱疲;而《雲頂之弈》則憑藉每周任務的寬鬆設計贏得好感，無需每日緊繃神經，在自然對局中即可推進進度;《堡壘之夜》更成為玩家口中的典範，其經驗地圖允許掛機刷進度，充裕的時間彈性讓遊戲回歸休閒本質;《界外狂潮》則以輕量設計取勝，每日僅需一兩局核心玩法即可完成任務，毫無壓迫感。這些對比背後，是玩家對 “被遊戲支配” 的反抗與對自由體驗的渴望。

Players' dissatisfaction is not directed at the commercial value of the pass itself, but at its alienation as a tool for time squeezing. When gaming companies design passes as "electronic handcuffs" that force players to go online when they don't want to log in with limited-time missions, it's essentially a departure from the game's core fun. The data shows that overly demanding pass missions often lead to a large loss of players after the end of the season, which is contrary to the original intention of increasing user stickiness. For example, due to the multi-pass mechanism of a popular game, the churn rate of new players in 98 days is as high as 0%, and the Steam evaluation plummets, reflecting the damage to the player experience caused by the excessive expansion of business logic.

In fact, the pass mechanism could have been a bridge between the game and the player. Platforms like Fortnite's AFK-friendly design and Genting Game's flex mission mechanics prove that reasonable rules allow players to progress naturally while enjoying the game, rather than turning it into a burden. The "one-time purchase is permanent", "mission de-KPI" and "reward transparency" called for by players are essentially a demand for autonomy - they hope that the game time will be controlled by themselves, and the mission objectives will be deeply integrated with the core gameplay, rather than being driven away by cold mechanics.

A rethinking of the industry is taking place. Some games have begun to explore more user-friendly designs: some have eliminated mandatory daily tasks and tied bonus progress to natural playtime; Some of them disclose the empirical calculation logic to allow players to plan their time clearly; There are also games that combine pass rewards with player creative content, making rewards an extension of engagement rather than a goal in itself. These attempts confirm the fact that when the pass returns from a "punch-in tool" to a "buff of experience", and when the game company truly respects the time and freedom of players, commercial success and player satisfaction can coexist.

This collective complaint on social platforms is actually a warm reminder from players to the game industry: the essence of games is to bring happiness, and no commercial mechanism should override experience. When the pass is no longer a shackle that binds players, but becomes the key to exploring the game world, the ideal state of "players and games go both ways" can be truly realized.