While Apex Legends is generally considered one of the strongest franchises in the industry with 18 million active monthly players, Season 17 did not deliver as expected in terms of revenue. The CEO of EA, Andrew Wilson, admitted this setback and mentioned that the new gameplay variations and monetization strategies introduced in the season were not sufficient to achieve the desired results.
Stuart Canfield, EA's CFO, also weighed in on the topic, acknowledging Apex Legends' success as an original IP with a devoted player community. However, he stated that net bookings for the quarter were below expectations, mainly due to Season 17's underperformance.
EA remains committed to supporting the Respawn team and the game's long-term growth. They plan to learn from Season 17 and introduce new modes of play to attract a wider range of players across different regions. They also acknowledged that addressing the concerns raised during Season 17, particularly related to the Ranked system, is essential for rekindling player engagement and spending.
In Season 18, which launches on August 8, EA will take a more measured approach, applying lessons learned from Season 17. While there won't be a new Legend in this season, they will introduce significant changes to the Ranked system in the hope of improving the game's overall performance.
During Season 17, various collection events were held, typically driving significant revenue as players purchased packs to complete collections and unlock exclusive items like heirlooms or mythic skins. However, complaints about the Ranked system caused many players to reduce their playtime and spending.
To address these issues and improve the game's performance, EA aims to revamp the Ranked system for Season 18 and rework the existing character Revenant, now known as Revenant Reborn.
