5 reasons that Apex Legends needs change to reach monetization targets

Apex Legends issues that need change (Image via EA)

Apex Legends is slated to receive new changes after the game reportedly failed to generate profits in the latest monetization changes. While the game did enter a new split with the most recent update and received some fresh gameplay content, the community seems to be moving away from EA’s battle royale as the Steam player count shows around a 20% drop in player count (for the past 30 days).

The community was successful in reverting a major battle pass change which aimed at removing the use of Apex Coins (AC). However, it seems that the title has yet to recover from its massive dip as the game continues to lose players, as many have jumped ship and are busy playing other games instead.

This article will highlight the possible underlying issue in Apex Legends that requires immediate attention.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author’s opinion.

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What are the major issues in Apex Legends that need change?

A game’s popularity can be a major factor in determining the profit a game can bring in through microtransactions. This is why player count is an important criterion developers need to observe when bringing in changes. One of the best ways to understand the in-game issues for Apex Legends would generally be by looking through the woes of the community and the volume of specific complaints.

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Also Read: Apex Legends to see 'innovative changes' after missing monetization targets

That said, here are some of the major problems that could be hindering Apex Legends:

1) Battle Pass changes

The introduction of two battle pass variants that cost real money for every purchase might have left a sour taste in the playerbase. While those iterations offer more packs and cosmetics, the final skins are simple recolors of the ones present in the battle pass, which can be bought with AC. Although the seasonal pass needed restructuring, this might not have been the healthiest route.

2) Collection Events

The constant arrival of new cosmetics and red-tier items can crowd the game. Moreover, getting such skins can be difficult as one would need to pay a premium price to stand a chance at winning the ultimate prize. The chance of dropping the highest-tier item is quite low and makes it appear to be virtually impossible to get by opening just a couple of packs.

3) Gameplay Content

Apart from a new map and the Halloween Limited Time Mode (LTM), the devs mostly bring character and weapon balance changes. Such changes work wonders to bring back players but can fail to retain them as they can quickly start feeling stale. Gameplay content being limited to a bunch of new cosmetics is not a route that is accessible to all players and can quickly drive away players even when the devs pour in a lot of effort into creating them.

4) Game Engine

The Apex Legends engine has fallen behind its competitors and could potentially use a refresh. An older engine can limit the possible changes the developers can bring to a game. This could be a major issue in terms of gameplay smoothness as well. A change in the engine could potentially help the community experience the game better and improve the lifecycle of the battle royale.

5) Server and Matchmaking issues

A leading issue for most multiplayer games is their servers and matchmaking process. The servers for Apex Legends are reportedly inconsistent and place players in unexpectedly high ping matches while outright crashing at times. The matchmaking problem seems to be most visible in ranked lobbies where the skill disparity is way higher than one would expect.

Apex Legends is a free-to-play title and the publisher needs to add different monetization structures to make a profit. However, improving the game itself and addressing existing issues can potentially go a long way in bringing back players to the battle royale. A surge in players can automatically help the devs rake in higher revenue to match the expectations of the team.