For those of you who aren’t aware of Episode’s pass refilling policy change, readers can no longer accumulate more than four free passes at a time. This means readers who have stockpiled free passes through the daily challenges will not get their free passes refilled until they hold less than four free passes in total. This also means readers who have just received four free passes from the four hour refill will not receive any more free passes from the daily challenges.
Obviously, this has caused some outrage in the community as this policy change is harmful to Episode authors and readers alike. After reading the ongoing discussion presented in this thread: The Free 4 Passes won’t load?, I’ve decided to create this feature request, which suggests Episode reverts back to the old pass refill policy. In addition, I have compiled a list of reasons why this policy should be reversed in attempt to strengthen the credibility of this request.
It dissuades readers from completing challenges since only readers with minimal free passes will receive any reward, therefore effectively erasing the incentive to read more chapters
It will make readers more cautious in how they spend their passes, which hurts small authors because readers will be less likely to take the risk of spending their limited free passes on an unknown author
Popular authors will also be at a disadvantage as readers will spend less passes on their stories, thereby hurting their chances of staying in the Writers Payment Program (meaning they will actually lose income because of this change)
In light of the aforementioned points, less chapters read in total means less ads watched before said chapters, which means less ad revenue for Episode
Many readers who have stockpiled free passes were never going to buy passes anyway, so these readers won’t bring Episode any profit from buying passes as a result of this change
Episode was the one who implemented the daily challenges in the first place, so if these result in too many free passes rewarded, why are the readers being punished for Episode’s poor decision?
In summary, the change to the pass refill policy is harmful to authors, readers, and Episode. If you also disagree with this new policy and want the old pass refill policy back, be sure to like and comment on this post in support! Also, feel free to comment with more reasons how this policy negatively affects the community, and I will add it to the original post. To continue the discussion about the new policy, the previously linked thread is a good place to express your thoughts.
Thanks to everyone in advance! With enough support, we can get Episode to change this policy for the good of the whole community.
Thank you for bringing our concerns from the thread to light here. As a daily user, I have been on Episode less than I have ever been in almost a year since this change went into effect last week. I am not completing any daily challenges either due to this.
With the inspiration of so many writers in this community, I am a beginning writer that is currently working on my first story. But after being forced to not be able save and use rewarded passes as I please, I am discouraged and not feeling like continuing my writing due to the actual sadness I feel for the authors that are already losing reads and new readers as well as realize that it will be even more likely that my story wouldn’t want to be given a chance due to us having to be so frugal with our limited passes.
Episode brought my creative side to light and gave me a community filled with brilliant artists and writers that I could interact with across the world. It is definitely disheartening and I would hate to give up being a part of it solely because my budget won’t allow me to buy an unlimited supply of passes.
Before this change, episode was such an amazing app and I was using it every day. Now I haven’t been on it in a week because of this new policy. As a reader, I’m already wondering which stories to read and take a risk on, confirming the point about smaller stories not getting many reads. This is unfair for the authors who put so much time and effort into writing their stories because now they won’t be getting the proper recognition they deserve. The policy really needs to change back, it wasn’t harming anyone, episode we’re still getting plenty of ad revenue and there were people who bought passes and gems, myself included, but I definitely won’t be buying anything now
Well said, I was so glad to find the answers on The Free 4 passes won’t load ? thread because i was so confused and as you stated we weren’t even told about it, Which made it a sly move they thought no one would notice, but i’m not being funny who doesn’t keep track of there passes They need to go back to the way it was which will allow everyone to be happy ! I read a story and noticed and thought maybe its a glitch so i did it again and the same thing happened and now tbh, I have just left the app because its just a stupid move, Like people stated here it wasn’t harming anyone if anything it was actually helping episode out to begin with!
It is really sad because this app is unique which made everyone happy, but there are other places we can write stories for free without a problem and no limit to how many can be read!
This was something different with animations and action to put to a story which is why i loved it so much x
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS POST.
I was so unaware of these changes and I’m disappointed in Episode for not even telling the users about this new policy and ultimately making this decision. Did they really think people wouldn’t notice? Also, if passes don’t regenerate after 4 in 4 hours then what is the point of the challenges if it won’t amount to anything greater than what the majority wishes to desire?
Now I have to use my passes because they won’t regenerate. I’ve acquired quite a lot now and I was going to continue doing so until this change. Which I guess was expected sooner or later… Please reconsider your decision Episode.
I really hope they change this and they update it. If they don’t it will effect them and the authors. I don’t find it fair for us readers either. I haven’t opened the app in a while.
Thank you for this post!! This change just makes me 100% less likely to play Episode as frequently as I did before… If I have to use 4 passes that I won’t get back just to get 1 pass as a reward, what’s the point of using those passes at all? If I want to stockpile passes and save them for a story I love and want to read all at once, then that’s my prerogative. You outlined all the reasons so well and I hope that the Episode team actually listens to our complaints!!
I have been an active Episode user since their launch in 2014. I’ve neither had a problem with this game until now. I hate to see my favorite mobile game cheat their customers like this. If they do not defer back to the original ticket loads, I will be uninstalling this app.
I have left a comment in the APP store and encourage everyone else to do the same.
I completely agree. I don’t see how they can be allowed to dictate how we spend our passes. If we want to stockpile them, we should be allowed to. They need to go back to the way it was before this policy was enforced. I guess they want to lose a lot of readers.
It’s so frustrating. It’s the reason that I used this app more than any other of the 40+ apps I have. I don’t want to read anyone else’s stories right now until this goes back to normal. I’ve lost 15 passes so far. I’m almost completely out the door and am about to delete the app until they get their crap together.
Happened twice so far. Last night at 7pm and this morning…I woke up to 12 passes again with the notification. Not sure if it will stay consistent but I’ll keep you posted.
They need to go back to the way it was which will allow everyone to be happy ! 
I read a story and noticed and thought maybe its a glitch so i did it again and the same thing happened and now tbh, I have just left the app because its just a stupid move, Like people stated here it wasn’t harming anyone if anything it was actually helping episode out to begin with!
x
