Apex Legends Clocks In 50 Million Players in 28 Days, Outpacing Fortnite’s Growth Rate

It is truly an understatement to say that EA has a hit in its hands with Apex Legends. After the startling announcement that it topped 25 million players in its first week, developers Respawn Entertainment has announced that 50 million players have laid their hands on the game after just 28 days from launch.

Apex has had a meteoric rise to stardom since its surprise release in February when it was made available for free on the same day it was announced. Since then, the game has been lauded by critics and players alike.

In comparison, Fortnite took more than four months to hit 50 million players, although it does boast a total player count of over 200 million. However, with Apex Legends outpacing Fortnite in terms of growth rate, it could very well be a matter of time before the former reaches that number as well.

The achievement is even more noteworthy taking into consideration that Apex is only available on three platforms: the PS4, Xbox One and PC. Fortnite, on the other hand, is playable on mobile and Nintendo Switch as well.

Time will tell how this freshly-brewing rivalry will play out.

Earlier last week, users have begun noticing several changes on Fortnite that have borrowed elements from Apex such as the ping system.

Respawn are also taking a page of Fortnite’s handbook by adding a battle pass in March as a form of monetization and a way to introduce new content.

Fortnite Copies Apex Legends’ Ping System, Respawn Beacons Spotted As Well

Since the launch of Apex Legends, the latest addition to the Battle Royale genre which has taken the gaming world by storm, it was only a matter of time before Fortnite would make its move to fend off the competition.

Following EA’s announcement that Apex reached 25 million unique players in its first week – a feat that took Fortnite twice that time – industry experts and casual gamers alike have been expecting Fortnite to buckle at the introduction of a formidable opponent.

So it was unsurprising that when Fortnite introduced Season 8, it included a new feature that Apex players will find familiar: a ping system.

As shown in the video below by TmarTn, players on Fortnite can now highlight to teammates a particular location or weapon with a tap of a button.

The feature has been a widely popular one in Apex, allowing for strangers to play together in a squad without the need for a microphone, and we’re sure it’s going to have a positive effect amongst Fortnite players.

Besides the ping system, several bugs that have appeared in game may have revealed Fortnite’s plans to introduce respawn beacons as well, another beloved feature in Apex. 

Vans with holograms on their roof have begun appearing in the game, bearing a strong resemblance to the devices in Apex that allow you to bring back dead teammates.

[caption id="attachment_14809" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Credit: Reddit user u/Smithstirini[/caption]

It’ll be interesting to see how the games will fare out in the coming months, particularly with Apex Legends introducing its battle pass system this month.