Apex Legends hits 25 million players in a week – smashing Fortnite's record

Fortnite took two weeks to gain 10 million players

There seems to be no stopping Apex Legends hitting fresh highs following its debut, and the latest revelation is that the game has reached 25 million players in its first week – and last weekend it exceeded two million concurrent players.

The 25 million milestones were shared by the game’s official Twitter account, complete with the comment that the success of the past week has been beyond Respawn and EA’s wildest imagination.

There’s a good reason why the big cheeses on Twitch are being thanked directly in the tweet because Apex Legends streamers are a big part of how the battle royale shooter has been pushed so hard.

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That has definitely helped the game’s success, as has the fact that it’s completely free and smartly polished with a somewhat different take on the genre. Apex Legends is a little like Fortnite crossed with Overwatch – with heroes (Legends) to choose from – but it’s squad-based with teams of three players pitted against each other (although duo squads and a solo mode could well be in the pipeline).

Mucho momentum

Let’s not underestimate just how fast the player base is building, either: 25 million in a week is pretty incredible when you consider that Fortnite only hit 10 million players in twice that timeframe. Indeed, it took Fortnite the best part of six months to climb to 45 million players, and if EA’s rival shooter continues at this sort of pace, that record will be decimated.

Of course, a strong start is one thing – but maintaining that momentum is completely another.

Still, Vince Zampella, Respawn’s CEO, chimed in with his own post to remind us of what’s to come. Season One of Apex Legends will begin in March with the introduction of new weapons and loot, as well as new Legends of course – and a Battle Pass will be available for purchase.

There are goodies coming this week, though, in the form of Valentine’s Day themed loot (which will be available for only a limited period – presumably on the day itself).

Further bolstering the streaming momentum behind the game, there’s also the Twitch Rivals Apex Legends Challenge, which pits EU teams against North American squads, featuring 48 of the biggest streamers on Twitch. That kicks off later today.



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