A Serious Talk About Apex Legends

Summary

In this heartfelt video, the creator shares their four-year journey with Apex Legends, highlighting the game's fluctuating identity and the frustrations it caused for both casual and competitive players. They discuss issues like engagement-optimized matchmaking, the chaotic transition between casual and competitive modes, and the lack of meaningful content updates. The video also reveals the creator’s personal connection to the game and its community, explaining how corporate decisions and the suppression of user-generated content have led to the game's decline. Ultimately, this video serves as both a critique and a plea for Apex Legends to return to its roots and foster a stronger, more consistent experience for all players.

Takeaways

• 😀 Apex Legends has struggled with declining player counts over the past few years, and the game's shifting focus has alienated both casual and competitive players.
• 😀 The game's failure to maintain a consistent identity has caused frustration, as it constantly flips between catering to competitive players and casual players, often losing both.
• 😀 Engagement Optimized Matchmaking (EOMM) has negatively impacted the player experience, creating frustratingly uneven skill distributions and artificially extending playtime, ultimately pushing players away.
• 😀 The transition from Season 12 to Season 13, which drastically altered the competitive mode, is considered one of the worst updates in gaming history, alienating both casual and competitive communities.
• 😀 The inconsistent direction of the game, with updates that cater to one audience but upset the other, contributes to a lack of clear identity and alienates players who don't know what to expect month to month.
• 😀 Apex Legends' current state is seen as the worst it has ever been, with a lack of content and poor competitive balance that fails to satisfy either casual or competitive players.
• 😀 The game's failure to release new content at a pace comparable to other games like Fortnite and Overwatch has led to further decline in the casual player base.
• 😀 Apex Legends was initially developed as a surprise Battle Royale spin-off of Titanfall 3, and its success was unforeseen, leading to a conflict between corporate interests and player needs.
• 😀 EA, the parent company, has been accused of prioritizing profits over the game's long-term development, leading to a stagnation of Apex Legends due to lower investment and resources being allocated to its continued growth.
• 😀 Despite passionate and talented developers, many Respawn employees feel their suggestions are ignored by upper management, leading to a decrease in morale and a disconnect from the player base.
• 😀 Apex Legends' suppression of community-generated content is another key issue, as the game restricts modding and player-driven creations while offering minimal official content updates, which stifles player engagement.

Q & A

Why has Apex Legends struggled with its player base over the years?

Apex Legends has struggled with player retention due to its inconsistent approach in catering to both competitive and casual players. The game has frequently shifted its focus between these two audiences, alienating both groups in the process. This has caused confusion among players about the game's true identity, ultimately leading to a decline in the player base.

What is engagement optimized matchmaking (EOMM) and how has it impacted the game?

Engagement optimized matchmaking (EOMM) is a system designed to manipulate player behavior by controlling when they win or lose in order to keep them engaged for longer periods. This system has negatively impacted the player experience by creating frustrating matchmaking, where casual players are often matched with highly skilled players, leading to imbalance in public matches.

How did the transition from Season 12 to Season 13 affect the Apex Legends community?

The transition from Season 12 to Season 13 was poorly handled, with Season 12 focusing on casual play and alienating competitive players. When Season 13 shifted back to a more competitive approach, casual players felt neglected. This inconsistency in the game's direction frustrated both player groups and damaged the overall community experience.

What does the speaker believe is the main reason for the decline in Apex Legends' popularity?

The speaker believes the main reason for Apex Legends' decline is its failure to maintain a consistent identity and lack of new content. The game keeps flipping between being casual and competitive, without successfully satisfying either group. At the same time, it has stagnated in terms of content updates, while competitors like Fortnite continue to innovate and release fresh experiences.

What role did corporate decisions play in the current state of Apex Legends?

Corporate decisions, particularly from EA, have had a significant negative impact on Apex Legends. After the game's unexpected success, EA chose to prioritize profits and minimize costs instead of continuing to invest in the game's growth. This has led to a lack of meaningful content updates, as well as corporate interference in the creative process, stifling the developers' ability to enhance the game.

How does the speaker view the developers' passion for the game?

The speaker acknowledges that many Respawn employees are highly passionate about Apex Legends, but they are being actively suppressed by upper management. This has led to frustration among the developers, with many feeling their creative suggestions are ignored or dismissed. Despite this, the speaker still believes the developers have the potential to make Apex Legends a great game if given the freedom to do so.

What is the significance of community-generated content in the longevity of games like Apex Legends?

Community-generated content plays a critical role in the longevity of games by allowing players to contribute their own ideas, mods, and experiences. Games like Minecraft and Fortnite have thrived partly because of their support for modding and user-created content. Apex Legends, however, has actively suppressed such content, preventing the community from creating its own experiences, which has hindered the game's potential to grow and remain engaging.

What is the personal connection the speaker has to Apex Legends and its community?

The speaker has a deep personal connection to Apex Legends, as the game has changed their life both professionally and personally. They have supported the community by donating high-end PCs, funding trips for players, and offering personal assistance to fellow community members. The speaker's love for the game is clear, but they also feel heartbroken about its current state and want to see it improve for the sake of the community.

How does the speaker feel about the future of Apex Legends?

The speaker is pessimistic about the future of Apex Legends unless significant changes are made. They feel the game is currently in a state of stagnation, and without a clear direction or new content, its player base will continue to decline. However, they still hold hope that the game could return to its roots and reclaim its former glory if the developers are allowed to pursue their original vision.

What message does the speaker hope to convey with this video?

The speaker hopes to raise awareness of the issues plaguing Apex Legends and spark a conversation about how the game can be improved. They want to emphasize that while they are stepping away from the game, their love for the community remains strong, and they want the game to succeed. The message is one of both frustration and hope—frustration with the current state of the game, and hope that the developers and community can work together to make things better.