Apex Legends Was the Most Downloaded Free-to-Play PS4 Game of 2019
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare may have been the most-downloaded PS4 premium title of 2019, but when it comes to free-to-play games, there was a somewhat surprising leader; Apex Legends. Of course, it’s not wholly surprising that the game was highly-downloaded. After all, it won Best Multiplayer at The Game Awards, and it enjoyed both a very strong launch and a resurgence in interest with the launch of Season 3. However, what makes its victory notable was that it managed to overcome Fortnite to take the top spot.
Apex Legends PS4 was the Console’s Most Downloaded Free-to-Play Title
According to the official PlayStation Blog, which recently released the rankings for the most-downloaded PS4 titles of 2019, the Apex Legends PS4 version was the console’s most-downloaded free-to-play game. Fortnite came in at #2, while the runners up were Dauntless, Realm Royale, and Brawlhalla. The #6 to #10 spots on the list went to, respectively; Warface, Don’t Even Think, Warframe, H1Z1: Battle Royale, and 3 on 3 Freestyle.
When Apex Legends first released, early in 2019, there was a brief period where the game seemed to be a major competitor to Fortnite. However, interest in the game quickly waned, and its numbers fell back below those of Epic’s title. The game never performed poorly per se. However, it did struggle to grow its audience in the period following the post-launch decline. That was, until the launch of Season 3, in the latter half of 2019. That Season succeeded in significantly growing the game’s audience. Indeed, its success was probably a major factor as to why the game subsequently won Best Multiplayer Game at The Game Awards.
Certainly, it’s interesting to now see that Apex Legends was actually downloaded more than Fortnite on the PS4. Granted, Fortnite did launch before 2019, so there are likely to be plenty of players who already had the game. However, its clear that many gamers did nevertheless download the game, given that it still got the #2 spot. Of course, Apex Legends does not currently pose a major threat to Fortnite. However, this does lend further evidence to support the notion that 2020 could be a very strong year for the game. Certainly, Respawn is seizing the moment; launching straight into a new event just days after the conclusion of their winter holiday event.