Apex Legends is the best shooter on the market — if you can afford to play

🎮 In 2019, Respawn Entertainment did the unthinkable, they shadow-dropped a AAA battle royale game with zero prior marketing — Apex Legends. Seven years later, however, the game that redefined movement shooters is fighting its hardest battle yet — one against its own greed.

To understand Apex, you have to understand its DNA. Born from the ashes of a cancelled Titanfall 3, it took the momentum-based gunplay of that cult classic and stripped away the defining feature: the giant mechs. It was a gamble that paid off. By fusing the “hero shooter” mechanics of Overwatch with the battle royale format, it offered something fresh: a tactical, squad-based experience where movement was king and pinging a location was a revolutionary act of communication.

Off to a good start: At first, Respawn was hailed as the good guy of the industry. The monetization felt remarkably respectful. The Battle Pass was a one-time investment for the dedicated; if you completed it, you earned enough Apex Coins to buy the next season’s pass at no cost — a generous infinite loop that rewarded loyalty. Loot boxes (Apex Packs) existed, but they were strictly cosmetic. It felt like a meritocracy: you couldn’t buy skill, and looking cool was just a bonus for supporting the devs.

The descent into pay-to-W: Somewhere along the line, the script flipped. The infinite loop of value was strangled by a new, aggressive monetization strategy. The turning point came with the introduction of collection events — limited-time windows where acquiring a single “heirloom” melee weapon could cost upwards of USD 160.

Fortune favors the paying player: Players began noticing that certain paid weapon skins offered better stats than the default models, granting a competitive advantage to paying players. The grind to unlock new, meta-defining Legends became an impossibility for casual players. The message became clear: grinding is no longer enough, pay up.

The current state of the game: In 2026, Apex Legends exists in a strange limbo. It is too big to fail, yet too broken to dominate. The recent “Season 28” update has attempted to earn back trust, but for many, the shift from player-friendly to money-hungry was unfixable. That said, it remains the best-feeling shooter on the market — if you can afford to keep up.

💯 Rating: 80/100 (Current State), 95/100 (At Peak).

⌛ Hours of gameplay: Infinite.

🔁 Replay value: 8/10 — The gunplay is still unmatched, even if the economy is broken.

👾 Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2.

💵 Price: At no cost to start, heavy monetization as the game progresses.