I really don’t mind them, but honestly if they don’t pay for the next pass I wouldn’t bother. Well it really depends on how they are set up. I do enjoy having another goal with interesting rewards to look forward too. Getting a guaranteed reward is nice when you are grinding and nothing is set.
To people saying they are just for the money, of course everything about a game is for the money. Gaming companies aren’t charities and live services aren’t cheap. If you want constant updates and new features, there will be a required fee as you move along.
Blizzard has never locked mechanics behind paywalls, outside of expansions which are to be expected. This isn’t a freeToPlay game from rando company, and until it is proven otherwise there shouldn’t be a reason to expect that behavior to manifest.
Also envy and pride both do much more to drive those purchases rather than time spent doing a single mechanic. You see some cool armor, and want to show it off, you want to get that sword before it disappears to show that you have something no one else can get.
Also, saying something people rarely use doesn’t drive people to want to pay money for upgrades is about the most obvious take. Of course people only care or want to improve areas that they use the most. Would you use in game currency for a niche area or for something you use frequently? ARPGs are about the grind and by the nature of a grind it means devoting time to it. Would you rather you logged in and could select those drip from a menu and then move on with your day?