Apex Legends Quickly Surpasses Fortnite

We’ll see if it has staying power, but EA’s new game Apex Legends has quickly rocketed past market leader Fortnite, with over 25 million sign-ups in just one week.

“This past week has been beyond our wildest imagination,” an Electronic Arts tweet reads. “Thank you to all 25 million Legends out there.”

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By comparison, Fornite was 2018’s biggest video game by far, and it was so successful that it forced major industry stalwarts like the Call of Duty franchise to adapt to its battle royale game style. But the newly released Apex Legends is already threatening to make Fortnite as passé as the games that title surpassed last year.

Here are the numbers.

Over 10 million gamers signed up for Apex Legends in the first three days of availability. It had taken Fortnite over two weeks to reach that milestone.

Now, over 25 million gamers have signed up for Apex Legends in just one week. Fortnite needed three months to reach 30 million players.

And now Apex Legends is the most-viewed title on the Twitch game streaming service. Surpassing, wait for it, Fortnite.

The success of Apex Legends is doubly interesting because it’s published by Electronic Arts, one of the traditional game publishers that has struggled in the wake of Fortnite. The firm had recently lowered its annual revenue projections thanks to poor sales of Battlefield V, but this week’s news has already triggered a stock surge that erased its previous losses.

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Conversation 21 comments

  • martinusv2

    Premium Member
    12 February, 2019 - 10:15 am

    <p>Kinda surprising that EA didn't screw this game from the start with loot boxes.</p>

    • Elindalyne

      Premium Member
      12 February, 2019 - 10:18 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#404343">In reply to MartinusV2:</a></em></blockquote><p>There are lootboxes… People don't really care though because the game is fun.</p>

    • robotraccoon

      Premium Member
      12 February, 2019 - 3:50 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#404343">In reply to MartinusV2:</a></em></blockquote><p>The lootboxes are cosmetic items only. There's no pay-to-win.</p>

    • Rycott

      Premium Member
      12 February, 2019 - 4:21 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#404343">In reply to MartinusV2:</a></em></blockquote><p>Apparently EA had very little to do with it at all. That's most likely why it wasn't trash.</p>

  • rm

    12 February, 2019 - 10:40 am

    <p>My understanding is that the loot boxes are cosmetic items only. Which is great news!</p>

  • Salvador Jesús Romero Castellano

    12 February, 2019 - 10:40 am

    <p> The game is developed by Respawn, a studio full of talented people and with a very friendly business model. Author of the awesome franchise Titanfall. I'm disappointed that they developed this battle royale, without the best of Titanfall (mobility and titans), instead of Titanfall 3, but at least it doesn't seems like EA have turned them evil… Yet, at least.</p><p>BTW, people still play Titanfall 2 :)</p>

  • Patrick3D

    12 February, 2019 - 11:23 am

    <p>From what I've seen they focused on the physics of the player, allowing you to run, slide, jump, climb, etc… and have a lot of fun while doing so. The downsides I've heard are limited ammo and re-spawn beacon camping.</p>

    • maethorechannen

      Premium Member
      13 February, 2019 - 5:05 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#404359">In reply to Patrick3D:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>I find being forced into a team to be a downside. </p>

  • William Clark

    12 February, 2019 - 12:30 pm

    <p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Fortnite</em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&nbsp;needed three months to reach 30 million players.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">But to be fair, Fortnite and PUBG were the first to make the genre successful. I would expect that a new entry into the genre would do well if it's any good and, as we just saw, might attract more players a little more quickly than previous incarnations.</span></p>

  • RonH

    Premium Member
    12 February, 2019 - 1:31 pm

    <p>Xbox only??</p>

    • William Clark

      12 February, 2019 - 4:01 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#404400">In reply to RonH:</a></em></blockquote><p>No, I have it on my PC and it's also on PlayStation</p>

    • BoItmanLives

      12 February, 2019 - 11:09 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#404400">In reply to RonH:</a></em></blockquote><p>Lol theyre not that financially suicidal.</p>

  • mrdrwest

    12 February, 2019 - 6:43 pm

    <p>Fortnite has a better ring to it.</p>

    • chrishilton1

      Premium Member
      15 February, 2019 - 10:05 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#404458">In reply to mrdrwest:</a></em></blockquote><p>2 weeks, are you kidding?</p>

  • Rob_Wade

    12 February, 2019 - 8:47 pm

    <p>I was a big TF1 fan. TF2 was such a huge disappointment, on every level, that it didn't stay on my PC past a week. Apex entices me even less. And I just don't get why anyone finds watching other people play a video game is in any way entertaining.</p>

    • BoItmanLives

      12 February, 2019 - 11:08 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#404477">In reply to Rob_Wade:</a></em></blockquote><p>You're not the target demographic, and this game isn't Titanfall 1 or 2 so those are irrelevant.</p>

      • maethorechannen

        Premium Member
        13 February, 2019 - 5:03 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#404481">In reply to BoItmanLives:</a></em></blockquote><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">this game isn't Titanfall 1 or 2 so those are irrelevant.</em></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">It's from the same developer and was apparently developed instead of TF3, so I'd say they are relevant to a discussion about Apex.</span></p>

    • Sam Brien

      13 February, 2019 - 3:21 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#404477">In reply to Rob_Wade:</a></em></blockquote><p>It’s just entertainment, same reason I watch football instead of playing in some social league.</p><p><br></p><p>Most probably are players who just want to relax, watch how better skilled players play, maybe pick up some tips, strategies.</p><p>I know if I’ve had a big day of work and I’m fatigued, I get rinsed in online games, that’s when I watch.</p>

    • spacein_vader

      Premium Member
      13 February, 2019 - 6:23 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#404477">In reply to Rob_Wade:</a></em></blockquote><p>Showing my age but I read the abbreviations in that post and wondered what Team Fortress has to do with this! </p>

  • barrett808

    Premium Member
    13 February, 2019 - 1:53 pm

    <p>It's pretty fun, bit I'm disappointed there won't be a <em>Titanfall 3</em>. I miss wallrunning and the grappling hook.</p>

  • Awhispersecho

    Premium Member
    13 February, 2019 - 8:43 pm

    <p>Now they need to greenlight Titanfall 3. Oh wait, this is EA. The company that single-handedly killed off at least a dozen fantastic franchises and would have ruined this release if they had anything to do with it. I'm glad to be hearing about something other than Fortnite, I'm really saddened that Titanfall 3 might never happen. </p>

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