5 issues Apex Legends might have executed higher in 2025

Though it’s not in its peak section, Apex Legends has remained a continuing presence within the esports business since its February 2019 launch. As of December 2025, Apex averages round 87,000 gamers a day, and the 12 months ended with a complete prize pool of just below $6 million. It paints a wholesome atmosphere for the sport, particularly when considering the console participant base.

Nonetheless, with Apex Legends having fun with its peak over two years in the past, and prize cash steadily declining since 2022, the longer term may not be as wholesome. There are methods Respawn might have improved each in 2025 and will look into these enhancements in 2026.

In 2025, there have been no new weapons or maps for Apex, which is considerably affordable, contemplating the map choices and gun pool within the recreation. Nonetheless, a brand new Legend was launched, Sparrow, with a myriad of Apex Legends gameplay tweaks, limited-time modes, and assortment modes. This 12 months gave the impression to be about refinement, quite than padding with content material.

From an esports perspective, whereas there was a drop within the complete prize pool for 2025 in comparison with 2024, it wasn’t by a lot. It’s been one other 12 months of regular continuation, starting with, sarcastically, the top of ALGS 12 months 4 with the ALGS Championship, gained by GoNext Esports. We’re nonetheless ready for the 12 months 5 version of the ALGS Championship in Japan.

Subsequently, with Apex Legends being executed for the 12 months, let’s check out what it might have executed higher in 2025. 

At the moment, Apex Legends gamers with a rank distinction of three can play collectively within the aggressive recreation modes. As an illustration, Bronze gamers can play with anybody as much as Platinum, which is a large distinction, contemplating all of the subranks. Some gamers can then be simply boosted by these in a a lot increased rank and talent degree distinction.

This downside could make ranked a tough expertise, for the reason that variance of talent degree with a rank could be massively skewed by those that have been boosted and those that are the place they’re meant to be. Even a discount from three ranks to 2 would in all probability be greater than sufficient to make a constructive distinction. It could additionally imply gamers of a decrease rank aren’t caught in opposition to foes past their degree.

There have been in all probability sufficient Apex Legends recreation modes in 2025, and whereas there’s nothing improper with fostering a gradual atmosphere, Apex is supposed to be a live-service recreation. The participant numbers on Steam have largely plateaued now, however with just one new Legend and no new maps, there wasn’t lots within the 12 months to entice gamers to return.

Even yet another map or yet another Legend may need been sufficient to get just a few ex-players to show their heads and doubtlessly return. From each a battle royale and hero shooter standpoint, Apex Legends has a number of competitors and including a bit extra service to the live-service mannequin.

Reasonably surprisingly, Apex Legends has a tick price of 20Hz. Tick price is actually how usually a server updates the sport’s state, and the upper the tick price, the extra usually the server updates. A 20Hz tick price is kind of low and has been a typical criticism of Apex for a while now. 

Most screens are likely to have a refresh price of 60Hz, that means {that a} related tick price ought to be customary. Apex Legends’ decrease tick price has usually led to folks touchdown pictures on their display screen, however the recreation not registering it, and with one thing as fast as a extremely cell FPS like Apex, the next tick price ought to have been on the to-do checklist for Respawn.

Whereas not up there with CS2, LoL, Dota 2, and so forth, Apex Legends is a robust title within the esports business; nevertheless, EA and Respawn aren’t pushing the title as a lot as they might. With all of the assets and connections that EA has, it might do rather more to market Apex’s esports scene and enhance its visibility within the broader business.

This might additionally culminate in having extra tournaments, incorporating extra third-party parts, like extra sponsorships or getting content material creators concerned to bridge the hole between skilled and informal play. EA and Respawn have factor going right here, and a bit extra from them to strengthen the esports scene would profit them. 

Having a stronger path for aspiring gamers to make it to the professional levels is one thing all esports must develop. Many aren’t sufficiently old to have gone by way of a number of generations of gamers, and that is one thing that Apex Legends, which is coming into its seventh 12 months, might enhance too.

Whereas the Tier-1 occasions, just like the ALGS Champions, are an excellent platform, an growth on Tier-2 occasions may very well be a means for the way forward for Apex esports to discover a higher path into professional occasions. Both means, ensuring the potential future athletes of the esport are sorted ensures that Apex Legends can endure.

With Apex Legends crossplay that means that the sport could be performed on something with virtually everybody, it does really feel like it will probably nonetheless be taken additional. The esport is wholesome, with loads of cash concerned, however there are methods the ALGS, and the sport as a complete, might have been improved in 2025.

Given Apex Legends’ standing as a preferred but not fairly prime esports recreation like CS2, LoL, Dota 2, and so forth, EA and Respawn have executed nicely to get this far, however might additionally do higher going into 2026. The tick price has been an ongoing downside for some time, nevertheless, and there’s a likelihood that 2026 will proceed in the identical vein as 2025.