The Battle Royale Apex Legends has set a new record. In February 2021, more players played the online shooter on Steam than ever before – and there are also players on other platforms. We take a look at what makes the game so great in early 2021.
The current situation of Apex Legends: Apex Legends set a new record with 196,799 players simultaneously in February 2021 (via steamcharts). On average, between 100,000 and 120,000 players played in the past weeks.
This makes Apex Legends significantly stronger than in January. In the list of the top games on Steam, Apex Legends is ahead of well-known giants like GTA V, Team Fortress 2, and the rising star Rust. It is only slightly behind the new Steam hit Valheim.
These numbers only account for Steam. Apex Legends launched on Steam in November 2020 along with Season 7 and has grown there since. Additionally, there are players on PlayStation, Xbox, and via EA’s own launcher Origin. In our list of the best battle royale games, Apex Legends ranks 3rd.
After the successful launch on Steam, the numbers have grown again. Just in time for its second birthday on February 4, the new Season 8 started, which is likely responsible for the significant increase.
Season 8 causes a surge of players
Where do the player numbers come from? Apex Legends was released on February 4, 2019, almost out of nowhere and without any announcement, only to shortly thereafter explode in popularity. In 2021, the new battle royale has launched its eighth season.
What’s new in Season 2? As usual, the new season brings numerous changes and innovations. The biggest new feature is the legend Fuse, who has made it directly into the A-tier of our tier list for Apex Legends. Fuse is an explosives expert who handles various explosive skills:
- Grenadier (Passive) – Fuse carries one more grenade per slot and can throw them farther, faster, and more accurately.
- Knuckle Cluster (Tactical) – Throws a cluster bomb that explodes at the target location and causes further explosions in the air.
- The Destroyer (Ultimate) – Bombards an area and surrounds it with a wall of flames.
Additionally, the 30-30 Repeater is a new weapon that can be fired quickly or charged for more damage. In the weapon, each round is loaded individually, allowing for sustained pressure even at long distances.
For many other weapons in Apex Legends, there are now golden magazines that automatically reload the weapon after a while of being stowed away.
The first map of Apex Legends, Kings Canyon, is also changing with Season 8. A huge ship has crashed, opening up a new area of the map. Additionally, adjustments have been made to many familiar locations and new lookout towers for reconnaissance or snipers. The developers have extensively described all the changes in their blog (via EA).
In addition to the major gameplay changes, there are some minor adjustments to the game:
- Improvements to the HUD and the popular ping system
- Adjustments to the hitboxes of the legends
- Adjustments to weapons and rotation of the arsenal
You can find the full patch notes on the Apex Legends website. However, a special event was also launched for Season 8, which likely also contributed to the influx of players.
Anniversary event brings great rewards for a limited time
For the anniversary of Apex Legends, the developers brought a limited-time event into the game. From February 9 to 23, players could earn rewards with a special playlist, games, and challenges.
Among the rewards were popular skins and cosmetics from past events in a new look and the ability to earn enough shards for an heirloom of choice. The game mode “Loaded and Unsecured” dropped players directly into battle with equipment and removed common loot from the loot pool, resulting in more action in the rounds.
The major changes since release
What else has changed? Since Apex Legends launched two years ago, a lot has changed. Anyone who hasn’t played since February 2019 will encounter many new features. Some of the biggest changes include:
- many new legends with unique abilities and synergies
- new weapons and a rotation to provide variety
- a new ranked mode to showcase your skill
- two new maps, with two of the three maps available each season
- map changes for all maps with constant adjustments
- special map features such as loot vaults, environmental hazards, and more
- various events that continuously bring new challenges and cosmetics to the game
- new battle passes
Is Apex Legends still worth it in 2021? Even though the anniversary event is long over, Season 8 brings many innovations that are still exciting. Additionally, Apex Legends continuously introduces new events to keep the game refreshing.
Anyone looking for an alternative to Fortnite or CoD Warzone will find Apex Legends is still a great fit and apparently enough players. The battle royale even supports crossplay, allowing you to play with friends on different platforms if you wish.
The success of Apex Legends comes primarily from its continuous development and the quality it has consistently delivered:
- the game was already good at launch – the gameplay loop and core gameplay are strong
- Apex Legends has been well and solidly developed over the course of 2 years with many features and new legends
- events and battle passes keep players engaged
- and when Apex Legends gives players the opportunity to earn coveted cosmetics for free, it generates a strong player boost
The gameplay itself appeals to something that especially shooter players and action fans enjoy: varied rounds with intense fights against other players and adrenaline from the pressure of the closing circle. Various weapons and characters round out the experience.
On March 9, Apex Legends will even be released for the Nintendo Switch. So for those who prefer gaming on the portable console, they can soon take the game on the go and play it anywhere.
