Spyxos
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Since January 2024, Apex Legend’s weekly peak player count has dropped dramatically—from 470,000 to just 220,000. This decrease of over 50% leaves everyone wondering: Why is everyone leaving the once so beloved action shooter?
The decrease in Apex Legends’ player base is not just a minor dip—it’s a significant downturn for one of the most played games ever, boasting over 100m concurrent players in April 2021. According to data from Steam Charts, Apex Legends has now reached an all-time low in average player numbers on Steam since its launch 2021.
1) The learning curve is too steep
One of the most frequently cited reasons for the decline is the game’s steep learning curve, which makes it challenging for new players to get into and for existing players to master it. If you’ve ever played, you know how frustrating it is to walk around for an entire battle royale match, getting to know your surroundings—only to be brutally murdered by a Wraith main before you even know what’s happened.To be good at Apex Legends you’ll need to put in the hours, find what legend works best for you, and grind countless games. This difficulty isn’t just me being dramatic, the fans agree—it’s a hard game to get into, and even more difficult to git gud.
It’s no Dota 2, but hop into an Apex Legends for the first time and you’ll quickly realize how tough it is to compete against more experienced players who’ve been playing the game for nearly half a decade.
2) Apex is too sweaty
Another significant issue driving players away is the highly competitive, or in Apex terms sweaty, nature of the gameplay. Apex Legends has a reputation for being a game where players constantly have to grind to nominally improve their skill.When you’re killed in Apex Legends, the player’s stats show on your screen. When you see that you’ve been killed by a player who’s got multiple high-level achievements, like 20 Bomb or Triple Master badges, it can quickly get disheartening. Especially when you’re just starting out and you’re getting matched with the same player three matches in a row.
Other games like Fortnite or Warzone can have anyone familiar with first person shooters hop in and do a decent job. But Apex Legends has a high barrier of entry, and to be any good with a particular Legend—requires a lot of sweaty grinding.
3) Apex Legends isn’t casual
Many players have voiced their dissatisfaction with the lack of truly casual game modes in Apex Legends. While Respawn has introduced modes like Team Deathmatch and Control, Battle Royale is still by far the most popular mode—but is often filled with overpowered players.This skill difference can make it difficult for casual players to enjoy the game, and the long match time for Battle Royale makes it hard for anyone to pop in for a casual game.
4) Smurfs, cheaters, poor matchmaking
Isn’t a Smurf one of those little blue guys? Yes, but a smurf in Apex Legends refers to an experienced player using a new account to match with beginners and just absolutely dominate less skilled opponents. Smurfing, combined with poor matchmaking, is one more of Apex’ problems that are driving players away.This issue is emphasized by the presence of actual cheaters, who use hacks to gain unfair advantages. Many players have taken to Reddit to express their frustration with the game’s matchmaking system, which often pits them against much more skilled opponents. These issues create an unbalanced environment and a frustrating experience, especially for casual players.
5) Aggressive monetization strategies
In-game events used to be free and you would get limited in-game items while participating in fun community events. But the free tier of the events no longer exist, and the cost of in-game events is rising while the value of rewards are decreasing.This is one of the major points of contention within the community. Players on Reddit have expressed frustration over how events have become more expensive while offering less in return. The ranked grind was already demanding, but in the last few seasons it’s become noticeably more so—and not in a fun RuneScape kind of way.
As Apex becomes more focused on monetization, and less on players and game mechanics, the community is feeling increasingly frustrated, leaning to leave the game instead of waiting for things to change.
6) Stagnant updates
Apex Legends’ content updates used to release new legends every season. It was a major draw for players to keep coming back—but it’s slowed down considerably in the last few years with new characters now being introduced every other season. Most of the updates are only small changes to the map, with one new weapon or map being introduced each year.This lack of new content is making the game feel stale and giving players a sense that the developers at Respwan simply don’t care.
7) Apex Legends is challenged by new releases
The gaming landscape is always evolving, and Apex Legends is facing stiff competition from new releases. Games like Deadlock and Black Myth: Wukong have attracted a huge number of players in the past months. The action shooter genre is becoming increasingly tougher and so far it seems like Apex is falling behind its competition.Apex Legends used to be the battle royale game, but with juggernauts like Fortnite and Warzone who update weekly, it’s made it harder for Apex Legends to retain its player base, as gamers have more options to choose from.
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