Having started life as a white-hot superstar, there was never any speculation to be had regarding Apex Legends‘ future. After it recorded the accrual of 50 million players in less than 30 days (and an equally impressive revenue stream to boot), nobody expected the battle royale to continue following an upward trend of such magnitude. Inevitably, of course, Respawn’s squad shooter has since come back down to Earth and settled into a more sustainable position, but is that truly the case?
Though Kings Canyon appears to still see healthy player numbers sky-diving into battle on a daily basis, a whole different picture is beginning to form behind the scenes. As per analyst website SuperData, Apex Legends generated $24 million in digital revenue during the month of April. Now, that figure is nothing to scoff at, but when compared with February’s takings, the situation takes a rapid turn for the worse.
At launch earlier this year, Apex generated $92 million in earnings, meaning in just two short months, the title has witnessed a massive 74% drop in revenue.
So, what’s the problem? Why, exactly, is the free-to-play game once considered to be the long-awaited competitor to Epic Games’ Fortnite, hemorrhaging money? The answer, as always, is a lack of content. Even now, nearly four months later, just one major update has arrived as a means to keep players engaged with Apex‘s rock solid gameplay, and it could have been enough, were it not heavily criticized.
Season 1: Wild Frontier went down like a lead balloon with fans back in March thanks largely to its lacklustre rewards and lack of new features. Only new character Octane saved what was otherwise a failure in every regard and if Season 2 follows in its predecessor’s footsteps, it could be the final nail in the coffin.
For Respawn and Apex Legends‘ sake, I hope past mistakes have been learned from when the veil over Season 2 is lifted at next month’s E3.