Kt1's video on this was on the money and BG is the best example of why.
You can be "competitive" in this game without spending a penny.
But to be in the top 1000 / top 30 alliance's, you are going to need to spend large amounts if you want to stay with the pack now 3/45 6* are out of the bag.
The game is F2P if your desire is to have fun, and to try and beat whatever level of content you can with what is available to you.
However, if your ego (or desire to be an internet “insta-star”) requires you to beat all content and compete against everyone else (although you’re really not competing against them, not really), then of course you will need to spend to get the best champs and take them all the way up, and to revive/heal them in quests as many times as it takes along the way. Or to have just as much “stuff” even though you might be a newer player as what people who have played (and grown) over several years have reached.
Competitive is all relative, you can have an extremely enjoyable time being competitive (per your level) against plenty of others of the same progression.
This game has always been about 2 things, time and money. You don't need both, but if you choose one instead of the other, then you will be putting in a hell of a lot of whichever you choose!
I'm 100% F2P, but I have the time to spend on grinding arenas and playing whenever. I'm leader of a top 150 AQ, platinum 4 war alliance. I find that's a nice spot for our members to have a chill but competitive alliance.
So depending on your definition of being competitive, it can be done as F2P.
Comments
You can be "competitive" in this game without spending a penny.
But to be in the top 1000 / top 30 alliance's, you are going to need to spend large amounts if you want to stay with the pack now 3/45 6* are out of the bag.
However, if your ego (or desire to be an internet “insta-star”) requires you to beat all content and compete against everyone else (although you’re really not competing against them, not really), then of course you will need to spend to get the best champs and take them all the way up, and to revive/heal them in quests as many times as it takes along the way. Or to have just as much “stuff” even though you might be a newer player as what people who have played (and grown) over several years have reached.
Competitive is all relative, you can have an extremely enjoyable time being competitive (per your level) against plenty of others of the same progression.
I'm 100% F2P, but I have the time to spend on grinding arenas and playing whenever. I'm leader of a top 150 AQ, platinum 4 war alliance. I find that's a nice spot for our members to have a chill but competitive alliance.
So depending on your definition of being competitive, it can be done as F2P.