This Apex Legends axe costs £112 in loot boxes

The games industry's insistence on profiting from gambling mechanics continues today, as Apex Legends' highly-anticipated Iron Crown Collection Event has arrived - absolutely riddled with loot boxes.

In contrast to Apex Legends' previous event Legendary Hunt, in which all new cosmetics could be earned or purchased directly from the store, most of the Iron Crown Collection cosmetics are locked behind expensive loot boxes. Worst of all, Bloodhound's heirloom set - containing an axe, a kill quip and a banner pose - can only be unlocked after opening around £130's worth of the packs. And then paying another £28 on top of that. Yes, really.

Time for a detailed maths breakdown - and I hope you're ready, as this is a little complicated. Skip to the bits in bold if you don't want your brain to melt.

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