---
key: mechanic/online-participation--t328
type: mechanic
id: online-participation--t328
lang: en
title: 'Battle passes, in-game stores and monetization'
summary: >-
  A paid offer defines access and its conditions. Duolingo compares Super with
  the free tier to show which features the subscription includes.
updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
status: active
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/online-participation--t328/'
jsonUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/online-participation--t328.json
markdownUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/online-participation--t328.md
aliases:
  - 'Passes, stores and paid access'
tags:
  - Online worlds and participation
  - Mechanics and variants
sourceIds:
  - source-d6403e86b24cf114
  - source-38db45754d75dfcb
sources:
  - id: source-d6403e86b24cf114
    title: 'Steamworks: Multiplayer'
    url: 'https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/features/multiplayer'
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-38db45754d75dfcb
    title: Duolingo
    url: 'https://www.duolingo.com/super'
    verifiedAt: null
relations: []
placements:
  - catalogId: online-participation
    id: t328
    title: Online worlds and participation
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/online-participation/#t328'
    categoryIds:
      - mechanics
supersededBy: []
attributes:
  preview:
    updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
    title: 'Passes, stores and paid access'
    description: >-
      A paid offer defines access and its conditions. Duolingo compares Super
      with the free tier to show which features the subscription includes.
    image:
      src: images/mechanics/learning-duolingo-super-comparison.webp
      width: 1280
      height: 720
      crop:
        x: 175
        'y': 375
        width: 930
        height: 345
      game: Duolingo
      sourceUrl: 'https://www.duolingo.com/super'
      originalUrl: 'https://www.duolingo.com/super'
      credit: 'Duolingo; public website capture, 2026-10-22'
      rights: >-
        © Duolingo. Signed-out public subscription page captured without
        starting a trial or signing in, 2026-10-22. All rights reserved;
        excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.
      caption: 'Duolingo: public comparison of free access and Super limitations'
      alt: 'Duolingo: public comparison of free access and Super limitations'
      markers:
        - x: 48
          'y': 79
          label: Unlimited hearts are listed as a Super benefit
    tips:
      - >-
        Before payment, disclose contents, duration, price and renewal
        conditions.
    examples:
      - title: Duolingo
        url: 'https://www.duolingo.com/super'
endsAt: null
provenance: >-
  Original bilingual editorial overviews authored for gamemechanics.pro on
  2026-10-20 and reviewed on 2026-10-21. Scenarios are hypothetical design
  examples; prototype checks describe work to perform, not completed playtests.
  Primary sources support the stated techniques and implementation context, not
  every proposed variant.
license: CC-BY-4.0
codeLicense: MIT
attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors
catalogKey: catalog/online-participation
---
# Battle passes, in-game stores and monetization

id: online-participation--t328
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/online-participation--t328
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/online-participation--t328/

A paid offer defines access and its conditions. Duolingo compares Super with the free tier to show which features the subscription includes.

## At a glance

![Duolingo: public comparison of free access and Super limitations](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/learning-duolingo-super-comparison.webp)

[Duolingo](https://www.duolingo.com/super) · © Duolingo. Signed-out public subscription page captured without starting a trial or signing in, 2026-10-22. All rights reserved; excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.

1. Unlimited hearts are listed as a Super benefit

- Before payment, disclose contents, duration, price and renewal conditions.

- [Duolingo](https://www.duolingo.com/super)

## How it works

Monetization sets paid-content conditions, while stores and passes connect prices to known content and unlock sequences.

## Variants

### Mechanic variants

<a id="t328-variants"></a>

- Direct purchases grant a described item. <a id="t328-v1"></a>
- Passes unlock reward tracks under stated conditions. <a id="t328-v2"></a>
- Subscriptions provide access for a stated period. <a id="t328-v3"></a>
- Cosmetic bundles change appearance without hidden power. <a id="t328-v4"></a>

## Design example

A season pass shows contents and duration beforehand while earned items remain after the season ends.

Prototype check: Test full-price clarity, duration, retained items and returning to play without a daily obligation.

## Context and limits

Online mechanics connect individual contributions to shared state, participation timing and explicit commitments between players. Each overview separates player actions, state changes and alternative rules. Examples are hypothetical design scenarios, not claims about a named game. A prototype check states an observable question for the next iteration. Existing detailed references remain separately linked from the direction map.

## Connected materials


## Sources and provenance

Original bilingual editorial overviews authored for gamemechanics.pro on 2026-10-20 and reviewed on 2026-10-21. Scenarios are hypothetical design examples; prototype checks describe work to perform, not completed playtests. Primary sources support the stated techniques and implementation context, not every proposed variant.

- [Steamworks: Multiplayer](https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/features/multiplayer) (id: source-d6403e86b24cf114)
- [Duolingo](https://www.duolingo.com/super) (id: source-38db45754d75dfcb)

CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors