Apex Legends shoots to #1 trending on Twitch as Warzone and Overwatch struggle

Bill Cooney

Apex Legends has had a massive surge in popularity on Twitch this week, becoming the number 1 trending game on the platform. Why? It could all could be due to a “perfect storm” of new content and other titles struggling.

It seems like every big streamer on Twitch and YouTube is giving Apex Legends a shot. From xQc to Dr Disrespect, it seems like most big-name streamers are dropping in for Season 10.

So many people are heading back to Apex that it was the top trending game on Twitch during the first week of August 2021. It’s not just Sage and all the other new content bringing in players though — other games’ struggles are definitely playing a part.

Warzone players escape to Apex Legends

The Season 10 Apex patch is definitely welcoming all of these players back in style, but it’s hard to attribute a 77% increase in hours watched to just that.

Like we mentioned, massive names like NICKMERCS, TimTheTatman, Cloakzy, and more are all thriving after making the switch from Warzone to Apex.

This mass exodus from Warzone is due in part to the rampant amount of cheaters that have been making themselves at home. But it’s also due to players getting tired of what seems like the same old gameplay round after round.

For example, NICKMERCS was literally the #1 Warzone streamer in the world before making the switch. Now, he’s brought all his viewers over to watching Apex, which seems likely to be his new go-to for now.

While disenchanted Warzone fans might make up the bulk of the new Apex refugees, they’re probably not the only ones. Overwatch players looking for something new while things seem to fall down around them could make up a good portion as well.

Overwatch players making the switch to Apex?

Overwatch 2 push game mode
The collapse of Blizzard’s image and rumors of an Overwatch 2 delay might have some players searching for something else.

Overwatch hasn’t pulled in anywhere near the numbers of Warzone on Twitch for years. But, it’s another game that’s going through its fair share of issues.

Now, to be fair Overwatch might not be getting infested by hackers like CoD’s battle royale. Though, the ongoing issues with Blizzard could be driving some to search for something new.

On top of that, a recent rumor that Overwatch 2 could be getting delayed until 2023 could have disheartened even more, and driven them right into the arms of Apex as well.

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About The Author

Bill is a former writer at Dexerto based in Iowa, who covered esports, gaming and online entertainment for more than two years. With the US team, Bill covered Overwatch, CSGO, Influencer culture, and everything in between.