To some extent yes. Though far more in the last few years compared to the previous 20.
Are you able to name any games prior to 2017 that allowed you to purchase your way to maximum level/abilities immediately upon getting the game?
"Pay to play" to me may mean something different to you and others. Although I think it's essentially the same thing. Which is why I put it in quotes and said "to some extent".
Very seldom are people using the same setup. As much as 20 years ago I started to play PC games at a competitive level. Nothing like winning tournaments, but playing on ladders. From Motoracer, JK, Tribes, etc. With these, the better computer you had, the more frames you had, usually the better you were. I used a joystick for Motoracer, much better than keyboard. All the top racers did. I had an upgraded computer for the FPS because lagging sucks ass, and you die. Upgrading my ram from 16 to 32mb may have been my biggest upgrade of all time for Unreal, literally changed the game. From slow and unplayable, to smooth. When the Raptor HD's came out and BF2 was in its prime, I had one. Because it loaded maps faster, and I got to the tank, chopper, or flag first. It was a very big difference. The cost between a Raptor and slow ass 5400 was huge, but I thought it was worth it. Today I have a mouse that I can change up the DPI on the fly, with a single button press. This is old news now, used to be a huge advantage. Changing the DPI for sniping, controlling a tank turret, flying, or anything else was better. Not even an issue anymore, paying to be a LPB instead of a HPB was an extremely big advantage in online gamine. CPU and especially video cards bring much better graphics. You can see things more clearly, see players off in the distance. AA/AF because the norm now, didn't used to be. People had to play with Minecraft looking graphics, to get smooth FPS, because that rules all. Some people have keyboard that can do macros, making gaming easier. Some people use 7.1 headphones which allows you to hear behind you much better, they can allow you to talk to someone easier, teaming up in a game. When WS monitors came out, it was a pretty big deal. I got a Dell 2005FPW, and it gave me much more field of vision on the side, allowing me to see more of the game. Allowing me to be better than I could with a standard 1024 res. No more editing the FOV in an .ini to get that fish eyed view. Hell, my current monitor allows me to have a reticle for every game, for every gun, all the time. It is there even when not play a game. So in some games where the sights for the gun suck, or are not there unless you zoom, I have them. All of these things are "pay to play" to me. I pay more, to allow better game play, which it turn usually makes me better. Having frames that never dip, with the best graphics, audio and controls is much better than playing with 30 frames, shitty sound and audio. Most people will be better on a better system. There are many more examples, but I think you can get the gist.
The same, but to a lesser extent can be said for consoles. Somewhere there is someone living with their mom playing on a 27" 720p screen. Or even a CRT. Using the TV's speakers, and standard gamepad. Elsewhere, there is someone with a 65" 4K TV, using surround sound headphones, and a
razer gamepad. Or even a keyboard and mouse, I have one on my PS4. Because I detest using a gamepad for FPS games.
For over 20 years, I have been paying to play. I have paid more for higher end equipment than the average joe who was using a $500 Dell pos. Yes skill matters, so does the hardware.
I understand the everyday term of pay to play, and I don't really like it either. I don't get all bent out of shape about it, because there are people with better and worse setups than I have. We all pay to play. I am more pissed that I cannot use my same account for a PC version and PS4 version of the same damn game. I have two Overwatch's, BF1's, BF4's, and Battlefront's. Because I prefer when alone to play on the PC, by a mile. My son and co workers all play on the damn console. No matter how much I try to explain that I enjoy the PC more, and that control is better, they don't care. So I have to level up both games, which sucks. I will buy a short cut pack for the console game, because I level up the PC game normally. I don't feel bad at all. I am 120 on BF1 on PC, 34 on PS4. I earned every gun I want to use, I am not doing it twice if I don't have to.
I ranted a bit, sorry. Also, EA clarified how it will work. The best items will have to be earned, not bought. Another reason why I didn't get all that upset about it.