One of Electronic Arts’ biggest current properties is Apex Legends, a fusion of the battle royale and hero shooter genres, developed by the team over at the talented Respawn Entertainment. Unfortunately however, EA has reported that they expect “approximately 40% year-over-year decline” in terms of player spending. The insights come from their latest investor earnings call, in which you can read the full transcript here.
The decline of Apex Legends has affected the overall performance of EA, with the estimated 40% decline also posting a “challenge to overall growth”, industry experts at GuruFocus suggest. Respawn Entertainment recently was the target of hundreds of employee layoffs, which now seem to have a clearer motivation as EA is unhappy with the performance of their live-service giant.
Speaking personally, it’s a little unsurprising to see Apex Legends decline in player spending, as the audience just has so many other games fighting for their attention. From Fortnite to Marvel Rivals even through to Monster Hunter Wilds, so many games these days are fighting for our continued attention, spending and engagement. The more emerge on the market, the more that the less popular ones will find themselves losing out, and sadly also face cuts.
EA is still pushing, specifying they will “continue to focus on delivering for our core players and investing in the long-term evolution of the franchise”, but this will require understanding that the audience may wane as Apex Legends competes with other titles – including EA’s own upcoming Battlefield title.
What do you think of EA’s latest statements on Apex Legends and its revenue decline, and what do you think of the current position of live-service games in the industry? Sound off your thoughts in the comments down below, and keep your eyes on GameLuster for more breaking gaming news and industry analysis.
