Apex Legends Player Count Drops Raise Alarming Concerns

Apex Legends

Apex Legends, once one of the most popular battle royale games, is facing a significant decline in its player base throughout 2024. Both casual and professional gamers have been voicing concerns about the game’s future, citing issues like rampant cheating, flawed matchmaking, and controversial microtransactions. One particularly controversial decision involved a split season with two separate battle passes, both requiring real-money purchases. This decision left many fans feeling alienated and frustrated.

Adding fuel to the fire, prominent professional player Phillip “ImperialHal” Dosen has publicly predicted the decline of both Apex Legends and its competitive esports scene. His comments have only heightened the sense of panic among players. Recent player count statistics have done little to ease these worries, as the game’s numbers have dropped to their lowest point ever. But now, another issue is being blamed for the ongoing decline.

Lack of New Content Drives Players Away

Traditionally, holiday seasons provide game developers with an opportunity to reward players through new content, such as fresh game modes and free cosmetics. However, Apex Legends opted to recycle old holiday content instead. The limited-time mode and skins from previous years were brought back with minor changes, such as reduced prices for cosmetics in the in-game shop. Rather than sparking excitement, this move reminded players of past grievances and added to the community’s frustration.

Making matters worse, Respawn Entertainment, the game’s developer, announced an End of Year Sale. While discounted skins like “Exo Hunter Vantage” and “Primal Hawk Valkyrie” were promoted, the event only reinforced criticism that Apex Legends prioritizes monetization over player experience. Many fans labeled the game as “dead” and “boring” on social media, expressing dissatisfaction with the lack of meaningful updates.

Alarming Player Count Stats

According to data from SteamDB, Apex Legends’ player base has hit a new low. The game recently saw around 60,000 concurrent players, with a peak of 137,000 in the last 24 hours. This is a stark contrast to the game’s all-time peak of over 624,000 players. These figures paint a grim picture of the game’s current state and its uncertain future.

steamdb data dec 29 apex legends 1 year
Image Credit: SteamDB

Players are increasingly concerned that Respawn is focusing too much on paid cosmetics, neglecting the gameplay experience that originally drew them to Apex Legends. Instead of creating engaging updates, the reliance on monetized content has left many fearing that the developer’s decisions stem from financial desperation.

If Respawn Entertainment fails to address these issues, the game’s decline might continue, pushing even its loyal player base to move on.

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