Since its launch in early 2019, Apex Legends has cemented itself as one of the premier battle royales, consistently going toe to toe with the likes of Warzone and Fortnite, and ranking towards the top of Steam’s top ten. Despite its strengths, though, Apex Legends has rapidly lost over 200,000 players during Season 21 – just under 50% – taking it to its lowest levels in three years on Steam.
Season 21 launched on Tuesday May 7, to a strong 428,000 players on Steam alone. Though it’s not quite the 624,000 peak of Season 16, it was by no means a weak debut for the multiplayer game. However, since then Apex Legends has rapidly lost players on Steam, which is likely reflective of the player base at large on other platforms and launchers. At the start of August, player numbers on Steam are sitting around 210,000, taking Apex back to the early 2021 era around Seasons 7 and 8.
As for why players appear to be leaving in droves, it’s likely a response to the controversial Apex Legends battle pass changes that quickly backfired on Respawn. Though these planned changes were scrapped, the battle royale game faced review bombing on Steam.
Adding to this is the poor state of competitive play which has been a growing issue in the community for the past few updates and has reached its boiling point. Issues like ranked resets and smurfing have had a significant impact on the experience.
Given the declining player numbers, a lot is riding on the hotly approaching Season 22 to change things up and, ideally, bring players back. From the new E-District map and Revival mechanic, to the stress-free Bot Royale mode, Welcome Pass, and drastic aim assist and flinch changes, Season 22 promises great things. Let’s just hope they land well.
Again though, even with these dropping player numbers, Apex Legends will still rank among the most consistently strong-performing titles on Steam. It is, after all, one of the best free Steam games out there for competitive players. However, if you are looking to take a break, perhaps give one of the best FPS games in our guide a go.
You can also follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides, or grab our PCGN deals tracker to net yourself some bargains.