It’s been a few years since this epic shooter was released, and some may be wondering if Apex Legends is dying or if the craze has dried up. Despite being a strong contender as a battle royale game, Apex Legends still feels somewhat dwarfed by other more popular titles so let’s see for ourselves how alive it is.
Apex Legends was released at a time when popular BR games like PUBG and Fortnite were at their peak. They dominated the battle royale genre, and for good reason too. PUBG’s immense popularity as a realistic battle royale shooter seemingly breathed life back into the genre.
Along with that, Fortnite’s free-to-play nature and easy-to-pickup gameplay mechanics were something everybody enjoyed. Despite these hurdles, no, Apex Legends is not dying and seems to be growing every year according to player count statistics and overall viewership numbers.
Now, more than 3 years after its release, we come back to this slick shooting experience and see how well it’s doing. From a surprise release with 50,000,000 players in the first month to what it is now, let’s get into whether Apex Legends is dying.
Is Apex Legends Still Relevant?
Apex Legends sneaked onto the scene and was instantly picked up by shooting fans, streamers, and even professionals alike. It gave gamers a formula of a fantasy shooter that was backed by great design, good storytelling, and amazing gameplay.
However, while still being a popular BR title, it attracted players only to be left for the next big thing that came out. Granted, Valorant did the same formula of ability-driven characters fighting each other just in a more controlled competitive setting.
The factors that we took into consideration all focus on the growth, popularity, and overall stability of players. They undeniably tell the story of Apex Legends and outline its course from the moment it hit platforms. The factors are labeled particularly as such:
- Viewership
- Playerbase
- Competitive Events
- Game Updates
Now let’s jump straight into the topic at hand and see for ourselves what state Apex Legends is really in these days.
Apex Legends Viewership
Viewership of any particular video game is a great measure of how popular that game is. It indicates how many gamers actively enjoy watching that game being played, and the game itself. And with statistics from Twitch on hand, we can discuss if Apex Legends is dying or not.
When it was released, Twitch reported a staggering 200K+ average viewership on the silent yet successful launch of the game. Eventually, that number shrunk down to measly digits but has seen rises frequently over the years.
Currently, the average viewership resides at close to 60K, and peak views often cross the 250K, and 500K views mark respectively. A clear indication of the game’s popularity and stable interest amongst players worldwide.
Apex Legends Playerbase
The most important factor to be considered, since a lack of players on servers, is a tell-tale sign that not many people play it. We ascertained stats from specific sources because there’s no way to account for all players on all platforms collectively. Throughout its career, Apex Legends has hit 100 million active players which is a feat in itself.
According to Steamcharts.com, since the game came to Steam it has seen a constant rise in players. It had around 100K concurrent players back in November 2020 and has now hit an impressive all-time high of 510K concurrent players through Steam alone. Not even counting similarly impressive numbers on other platforms and launchers the game is played on.
The game’s style and incredibly optimized delivery made it appealing to gamers of all ages. Not to mention the fast-paced, parkour-infused gameplay that was unlike anything else within the shooter genre. And thus, the numbers alone tell us that Apex Legends is nowhere near dying.
Apex Legends Competitive Events
Shooting games in particular have always seen massive competition between players, it’s what drives gamers to strive for more. And Apex Legends is no different, with a solid esports presence in this era. Fortunately for our predators, there are countless tournaments to compete in and substantial paydays for the winners.
Apex Legends saw a collective prize pool of $5,000,000 for both 2021 and 2022, counting in all major and minor events in the yearly schedule. The most popular is the Apex Legends Global Series (which holds the peak viewer record on Twitch) with a massive prize pool of $2,000,000. With competition like this, players and viewers alike would certainly flock to this game.
Apex Legends Game Updates
The last thing to consider is one that means the game is alive to keep players engaged. Updates and new content mean a lot to gamers, it keeps the game fresh and every major update attracts new players (or old players back).
This is where Apex Legends took a page out of Fortnite’s book, with seasonal updates and great new content added frequently. The update frequency is fairly engaging and every other major update brings either new Legends, new maps, and events that keep the gaming predators satiated and well-fed.
Additionally, the biggest update to the franchise overall came in the form of Apex Mobile. It was an instant hit amongst mobile gamers and seemingly topped charts in over 60 countries. It easily expanded the game’s popularity overnight, being available on the most accessible gaming platform you could have. This just goes to show you the pattern that proves that Apex Legends is here to stay.
And there you have it, concrete information on what is still a very popular video game that surpasses all expectations of being one the most popular battle royale games. Hopefully, we adequately answered your queries about Apex Legends dying. Tell us in the comments below how long you’ve been playing Apex Legends or head over to our guides page for more on Apex Legends.
