Apex Legends gained over 9 million players in under 24 hours, making it one of the most popular battle royale games on the market. Apex Legends has taken the battle royale genre and completely reinvented it.
At this point, Apex Legends has surpassed 25 million players and is steadily overtaking the former king of battle royale games, Fortnite.
Reasons for its success
One of the clearest reasons behind Apex Legends’ rapid success is that it belongs to the battle royale genre. Battle royale is red-hot in gaming right now, so most new titles in the genre attract significant attention.
Apex Legends also stands out from other battle royale games by adding fresh, exciting mechanics. At the start of each match, you choose one of eight different characters—also called Legends. Each Legend has unique abilities that provide distinct advantages in the heat of battle.
Find your favorite Legend
As mentioned, there are currently eight Legends to choose from. Finding your favorite is a big advantage, so we’ll introduce them one by one below.
Bangalore – Professional Soldier
Bangalore, aka Anita Williams, is a professional soldier who wields a unique arsenal on the battlefield. She carries a smoke launcher that creates a smokescreen during intense firefights.
Bloodhound – Technological Tracker
Bloodhound’s core strength is the ability to track hidden enemies and traps, as well as scan buildings around the battlefield for vital intel.
Caustic – Toxic Trapper
Caustic, aka Alexander Nox, uses deadly gas to eliminate foes. He can deploy gas traps and wears a mask that lets him see through the gas.
Gibraltar – the Shielded Fortress
Gibraltar is a defensive Legend. He can absorb massive amounts of damage and still strike back. He can deploy a protective dome that blocks attacks for 15 seconds, giving your squad time to regroup and plan while bullets are flying.
Lifeline – Combat Medic
Lifeline is essential for any team. Her primary role is to heal and support your squad, yet she can still dish out serious damage. One of her key abilities is summoning a drone that automatically heals teammates.
Mirage – Holographic Trickster
Mirage is perfect if you love outsmarting opponents. His toolkit makes it easy to sneak around the battlefield and strike when enemies least expect it. A signature move is projecting a holographic decoy of himself to confuse foes.
Pathfinder – Forward Scout
If you prefer a better overview of the battlefield, Pathfinder is the Legend for you. He can gather information to help locate enemies, and this friendly robot can also set up a zipline your team can use to move quickly between positions.
Wraith – the Swift
Wraith is one of the fastest fighters, and her abilities amplify that speed. She can create a rift through time to briefly avoid damage. When enemies are nearby, a mysterious voice warns her so you’re ready for potential encounters.
Battle royale – the newest and most intense game genre
The battle royale genre is named after a Japanese film in which students fight each other to win freedom. In battle royale games, you’re likewise dropped into a battleground where only one can survive. To prevent matches from dragging on for hours, the playable area shrinks over time. A circle appears on your map, and you must stay within it; outside the circle you take damage and will eventually lose the round.
In short, battle royale is a blueprint for fast, incredibly intense combat. Beyond its eight distinct Legends, Apex Legends emphasizes team play. If you don’t work together as a squad, your chance of winning is minimal.
Free and cross-platform
Despite its impressive visuals, Apex Legends isn’t particularly demanding to run. A decent gaming PC is recommended, but it doesn’t have to be top-of-the-line.
Additionally, Apex Legends is available on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. It’s free-to-play across these platforms. The only requirement is an EA account, which is also free to create.
Developer
Apex Legends is published by EA and developed by Respawn Entertainment. Respawn is a US-based studio known for delivering standout titles, including the Titanfall series.
Overall, Respawn Entertainment has a track record of excellent games, and Apex Legends is undoubtedly their biggest hit so far.
Conclusion
Apex Legends has passed 25 million players and is currently growing 500% faster than the former king of battle royale, Fortnite. Apex Legends is far more than just another battle royale game—the developers have evolved the genre.
It’s only a matter of time before other studios follow Apex Legends’ example and push the battle royale genre even further. Until then, we’ll happily enjoy many intense, highly entertaining hours in Apex Legends.
The game is free to download and play and only includes cosmetic microtransactions. You can spend real money to change your character’s appearance, but there are no pay-to-win advantages—thankfully.
Apex Legends gets our warmest recommendation.
Download the wildly entertaining Apex Legends for free here.
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