100% agreed brotha.
Been a hardcore player for a while now and after diving into this hyped up season the only really significant change I've noticed is their monetization model. Sure, the new tattoo system is pretty sweet and Dark-slides came late but that is overshadowed by all the 'Nickle-and-diming' they're doing, especially with newly purchasable lackluster prop drops/outfit loud-outs ect.
What irks me even more is they didn't even have an alternative Rip Chips currency sink, for instance like a Market Mile/Grom Island product box but instead only charging 500 R.C for a daily island pass. The OG's sittin' on at least 50k+ in hopes of a new product box I guess will have to sit down on their thumbs,, Would've been satisfied with a special "Prop Product Box" but I guess thats what I get for wishful thinking. The island isn't even all that too, just filled with those annoying "In One Session" collecting missions and 1 main mission lmfao.
The social aspect is still lacking, the party beacon is still a joke with it being a little tiny pink star now on the ground which is barely visible. Don't want to depend on a 3rd party app just to form groups, this should be easily managed IN GAME. You'd think this would be a no brainer that it should have MORE VISIBILITY THAN THROWDOWNS but it doesn't- alerting people nearby or server wide that you're looking for members. (Instead you still have to gingerly browse the list looking for open party icons)
Lastly I could go on and on about how lackluster and bare minimum the new Season Pass rewards are and how they boasted about having 100+ items but it's mostly participation-trophy cosmetics not even catered to the main demographic that plays this game (Crop tops, heart glasses, Fortnite emotes, Lazy uninspired color swaps. stickers LOL) until you get to the later pages.. -_o_-
Core players like myself have been begging for some meaningful progression and it seems to fall on deaf ears towards whoever is at EA/ Full Circle "listening" to feedback. They've also had the previous two seasons to do some good and taking that into account it's hard to even see the "Beyond" with this game which is sad.