Apex Legends was initially released by Respawn Entertainment in February 2019. Since then, Respawn has put in a lot of effort to keep the players happy and engaged. These things include releasing new Legends, introducing a new Battle pass every Season, adding new cosmetics, and players with more choices with new game modes.
All these strategies worked and made Apex one of the world’s most popular multiplayer online games.
However, at the end of 2020, we saw a decline in the overall player count across all platforms. This caused a mass panic in the Apex Legends community, with people being uncertain about the game’s future.
All of this led to many players asking the question, is Apex Legends Dead? If you ask most Apex streamers and players, they will give a dramatic answer like ‘the game has been dead for years.’
However, this cannot be further from the truth. Let us look at different factors and determine if Apex Legends is dead or not.
Apex Legends is nowhere near being a dead game. The game’s daily peak is almost 550 thousand players on Steam alone. We also saw the game hit its all-time peak of 625 thousand players in 2024 as well.
The fan perception of the game’s current status can be attributed to factors like player fatigue and the introduction of new games like Overwatch 2 and Counter-Strike 2.
However, to combat this fatigue, Respawn has constantly added new and exciting content to the game. Things like Battle passes and Collection Events keep the players happy and engaged because of the high-quality rewards they offer.
Similarly, new Legends also breathe new life into the game whenever it starts becoming stale. All of this contributes to the game’s soaring popularity in 2024.
Now, let us take a look at different factors that contribute to people thinking that Apex Legends is dead. We will also discuss the different ways Respawn Entertainment has kept the game alive during its lifetime.
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Apex Legends’ Ever-Changing Player Count
Apex Legends was initially made available to the public in 2019. Ever since its release, the game managed to have a stable player count when it was exclusively on Origin. However, in late 2020, the game’s player count reached an all-time low.
A game that was averaging more than 300 thousand players a day was now played by a mere 110 thousand players.
Most players wrote the game off during this period and declared it ‘Dead.’ So, what was the main reason for this dip in the player count?
Let us take a look at different reasons why many players thought that Apex Legends was dead.
1. The Game Becoming Stale
Player Fatigue is something every major game suffers from after its initial success. Initially, many players and critics considered Apex Legends a ground-breaking game. However, after a year and a half of the same gameplay with no major changes, many players started to tune out.
At this time, the game was rarely changed, and the new sets and Battle passes that were introduced were considered mediocre by most players. This led to most players quitting the game, which resulted in the game’s severe decline in popularity.
2. The Rise of Competitive Games
The downfall of Apex Legends was parallel to the rise in popularity of its competitive games. Games like Pubg and Valorant, in particular, were making strides and taking over the market of multiplayer online shooter games.
This played a major role in fans moving on from Apex Legends. Many players who were playing Apex Legends from the start quit the game at the point to move the better and more creative alternatives.
3. A Lack of Game Modes and Maps
Apex Legends initially did not have as many game modes or maps as it does today. Players who have been playing the game from start know that the old Apex Legends was a barebones version of what the game has become today.
This also played a huge role in the game’s declining popularity.
Most players quickly grew tired of playing the same map or game mode again and again. This caused many players to get bored and move on to other games that offered more versatility.
Steps Taken By Respawn to Revive Apex Legends
After the game’s downfall in 2020, Respawn Entertainment took a lot of major steps to revive Apex Legends. These steps played a huge role in boosting the game’s popularity and overall player count.
These steps also ensured the game’s continued growth and helped it become one of the best and most popular online multiplayer games in the world. These steps include;
1. Regular Gameplay Updates
Apex Legends receives regular gameplay updates at the start of every Season. These updates ensure that no Legend or weapon becomes overpowered. Constant changes are made to Legend’s abilities that help keep them balanced.
This also contributes to peeking fan interest as they want to try out their favorite Legend with these new changes.
The weapon and Legend changes also keep the game fresh and ensure no one gets an unfair advantage. This is also good for new players as they can get into the game and be on a level playing field with other players adjusting to these new changes.
2. Introduction of New Legends
Apex Legends initially launched with a roster of 8 Legends. However, ever since the game’s release, Respawn Entertainment adds a new Legend with every new Season. These new additions make the game exciting and boost its popularity.
Every single player wants to try out these new Legends and see what they bring to the table.
Additionally, many new Legends are loved by players just as much, if not more than the original cast of Legends. So, introducing new Legends provides a great opportunity to shake up the game’s current meta and peeking fan interest.
These new Legends also come with their unique abilities and interactions with the existing Legends. This helps expand the game’s lore and improve player engagement.
3. Battle Passes and their Exciting Rewards
Battle passes are a great way to boost your game’s player count. It is a technique used by every single online multiplayer game to bring fans back to the game. It gives players new tasks that keep them engaged for a long period.
Initially, the Battle passes being introduced were lackluster and not worth the required effort.
However, in the last year, Respawn has perfected the formula, with the last two Battle passes being massive hits with fans. These Battle passes have offered up amazing rewards in the form of emotes, taunts, weapon skins, and Legend skins.
These rewards require you to perform tasks to unlock. This is a great way to keep your fans coming back for more. This is why we always see an increase in player count whenever a new Battle Pass gets released.
4. Collection Events and Rare Cosmetics
In addition to the Battle passes, Apex Legends also has regular collection events. These events occur almost every other month and offer amazing rewards to the players. This, in addition to the Battle passes, gives players a great incentive to come back and play Apex Legends.
These collection events also give you the ability to unlock mythically rare Heirloom Sets. These items are extremely sought after and can only be unlocked during these events.
The Heirloom sets also features rare taunts and banners that further entice the players into grinding the game and unlocking them.
5. Addition of New Game Modes and Maps
As stated before, Apex Legends initially launched with a handful of game modes and a singular map. However, throughout the game’s existence, new game modes and maps have been constantly added.
There are currently 8 permanent game modes in Apex Legends. These modes include Training, Firing Range, Duos and Trios Battle Royale, the Mixtape, and Ranked Leagues. In addition to these game modes, Respawn also regularly introduces Limited Times Modes (LTMs).
These new game modes provide a great alternative to players who are fed up with playing only a specific mode for long.
Similarly, Apex was launched with a single map. However, over time more maps have been added, and the game now has 5 unique maps. These maps are aesthetically pleasing and bring something unique to the table.
These maps also come with unique obstacles that force you to strategize differently in each. This change of scenery also is a breath of fresh air for many and is a feature that helps set Apex Legends apart.
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6. The Move to Steam
Initially, Apex Legends was only available on Origin. It was a game platform created by Electronic Arts exclusively for their games. Many people did not know about the platform, which also hindered Apex Legend’s popularity. This all changed in late 2020 when Apex Legends was released on Steam.
At this time, Apex Legend had hit rock bottom regarding player count. The release on Steam allowed more players to become aware of the game, and older players returned to it because of the change.
Even today, significantly more players are playing Apex Legends on Steam than Origin. So, the Steam release was crucial in keeping Apex Legends relevant.
Is Apex Legends Dead?
No, Apex Legends is not dead. On the contrary, it is seeing some of the best numbers in terms of player count since the game’s release in 2019.
New features are constantly being added to the game that keep players returning for more. Collection events and Season quests also add new cosmetics and rare rewards and expand the lore for every Legend in the game.
We also regularly get new Legends, weapons, cosmetics, and events contributing to the game’s soaring popularity in 2024.
Conclusion
This concludes our guide on whether Apex Legends is dead or not. Apex Legends has been out for more than four years. In this period, the game has seen massive ups and downs. It went from being on the brink of death to peak popularity in 2024.
Despite many Youtubers and streamers claiming that the game is dying, it is still one of the most popular games in the world. The game offers its players a lot in the form of new Legends, weapons, maps, events, and cosmetics. These factors keep the players hooked to the game and come back for more every time.
We hope that this guide helps you answer whether Apex Legends is dead or not. Let us know what you think about the guide in the comments below. Till next time, good luck and have fun!
