Is “free to play” more expensive in long term?

I bet everyone loves a “free” game, but… is it really free?

With all the battle passes, limited time skins, fashion, energy, storage, loot boxes, premium currency, etc…

Yes, you can download the game for free, but.. most of the time ending up costing more than a full priced game, especially if you are someone competitive,

just want to keep it with friends, or you just saw something “pretty” or “useful”.

Are we paying more without noticing? Has anyone done the math on how much they’ve spend on this game compared on a $60/$70 game?

I’m curious, have you done the math? Is it really “free” or a disguised subscription?