{"id":34266,"date":"2026-08-09T09:06:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T04:06:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=34266"},"modified":"2026-08-09T09:06:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T04:06:26","slug":"6-years-later-this-free-to-play-sci-fi-shooter-still-manages-200k-daily-players","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=34266","title":{"rendered":"6 Years Later, This Free-To-Play Sci-Fi Shooter Still Manages 200k Daily Players"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<p>Over the years, a lot of different <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/tag\/fps\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em><strong>FPS games<\/strong><\/em><\/a> have come and gone, and as a percentage of how many releases there have been overall, very few make any impact at all. That said, the bigger developers and publishers do tend to have more of a chance, and for them, longevity is usually the best hallmark of success. <\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<p>If you are looking to shoot some real-world enemies in <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/best-online-games-play-friends-coop-multiplayer\/\" target=\"_blank\">multiplayer lobbies<\/a>, there are quite a few options on the table that are worth your time in 2026. Of those, there are a few that are still going particularly strong, and one is arguably as good as it has ever been (depending on who you ask). <\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"6-years-later-and-this-free-steam-game-is-still-going-strong\">\n                        6 Years Later And This Free Steam Game Is Still Going Strong<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape mobile-optimized\">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/apex-legends-character-posing-standing-with-eletricity-behind-them.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n                                                                                            <picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/apex-legends-character-posing-standing-with-eletricity-behind-them.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/apex-legends-character-posing-standing-with-eletricity-behind-them.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/apex-legends-character-posing-standing-with-eletricity-behind-them.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/apex-legends-character-posing-standing-with-eletricity-behind-them.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/apex-legends-character-posing-standing-with-eletricity-behind-them.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/apex-legends-character-posing-standing-with-eletricity-behind-them.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"1650\" height=\"928\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Apex Legends character posing standing with eletricity behind them\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/apex-legends-character-posing-standing-with-eletricity-behind-them.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/apex-legends-character-posing-standing-with-eletricity-behind-them.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Though it will likely need no introduction to almost all of you, it really is worth taking a moment to note just how well <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/apex-legends-review\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Apex Legends<\/em><\/a> is doing, more than six years on from its original release. Developed by Respawn Entertainment, the beloved hero shooter still brings in more than 200,000 players per day on average.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s a genuinely remarkable achievement, and testament to just how tight the gameplay is on a minute-to-minute basis. The game&#8217;s real strength is its vast and varied <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/best-apex-legends-characters-ranked\/\" target=\"_blank\">roster of characters<\/a>, which is now comfortably big enough to cater to everyone, regardless of their favorite playstyle in competitive shooters.<\/p>\n<p>Though there is a lot to learn if you&#8217;re planning on being genuinely good at the game, the in-ramp is noticeably less steep than competitive releases in other genres, and it is possible to plug, play, and have fun. That said, understanding how to synergize your favorite picks with allies, and how best to counter specific enemies, is a rewarding experience. <\/p>\n<p>Updates have also been relatively consistent, and though there have been some specific complaints from experienced players in recent times, it really is holding up very well in the face of the relentless passage of time.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"apex-legends-is-bigger-and-better-than-ever\">\n                        Apex Legends Is Bigger And Better Than Ever<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape mobile-optimized\">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/apex-legends-season-22-shockwave-e-district-map-bloodhound-beacon-scan.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n                                                                                            <picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/apex-legends-season-22-shockwave-e-district-map-bloodhound-beacon-scan.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/apex-legends-season-22-shockwave-e-district-map-bloodhound-beacon-scan.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/apex-legends-season-22-shockwave-e-district-map-bloodhound-beacon-scan.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/apex-legends-season-22-shockwave-e-district-map-bloodhound-beacon-scan.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/apex-legends-season-22-shockwave-e-district-map-bloodhound-beacon-scan.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/apex-legends-season-22-shockwave-e-district-map-bloodhound-beacon-scan.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"1650\" height=\"928\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Apex Legends Bloodhound scanning a survey beacon\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/apex-legends-season-22-shockwave-e-district-map-bloodhound-beacon-scan.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/apex-legends-season-22-shockwave-e-district-map-bloodhound-beacon-scan.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>As a free-to-play game, there really isn&#8217;t too much risk in giving it a go, and if you are a fan of hero shooters, there really are very few examples that hit the same heights. <em><strong>Apex Legends<\/strong><\/em> is also doing very well from a financial perspective as well, so you don&#8217;t have to worry about all your progress being for naught if the game goes under. <\/p>\n<div class=\"display-card type-video-game large\" data-show-streamrentbuy-links=\"true\" data-include-community-rating=\"true\" id=\"f306-4dc9-9bdbb15bc6e4\">\n<div class=\"display-card-main-content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"display-card-main-content\">\n<div class=\"display-card-content image-column\">\n<p>                        <!--    Rating block community and brand ratings --><br \/>\n                        <!--  Image --><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-img  has-image-group\" data-stnl=\"%7B%22category%22%3A%22Click%20Interactions%22%2C%22name%22%3A%22Display%20Card%22%2C%22action%22%3A%22Fullscreen%20Image%20Load%22%2C%22once%22%3Atrue%7D\" data-stnl-group-once=\"nPRPFASoU1\">\n<div class=\"body-img portrait \">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  img-article-square\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/07\/apex-legends-tag-page-cover-art.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n                                                                                                                                                            <picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/07\/apex-legends-tag-page-cover-art.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=300&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/07\/apex-legends-tag-page-cover-art.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=300&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/07\/apex-legends-tag-page-cover-art.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=400&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/07\/apex-legends-tag-page-cover-art.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=400&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/07\/apex-legends-tag-page-cover-art.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=320&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/07\/apex-legends-tag-page-cover-art.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=320&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"960\" height=\"1440\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"apex-legends-tag-page-cover-art.jpg\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/07\/apex-legends-tag-page-cover-art.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=480&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/07\/apex-legends-tag-page-cover-art.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=480&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                        <!-- User Rating widget --><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"display-card-content info-column\">\n<div class=\"w-display-card-highlight-info\">\n                            <!--  Display card tags widget --><\/p>\n<p>                            <!--  Display card system widget --><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-display-card-pills-group\">\n                                        <span class=\"pills-group-title\">Systems<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"pill-group-items\">\n                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/tag\/pc\/\" class=\"pill-group-item\" title=\"PC\"><br \/>\n                                                                                                                                                                                    <img width=\"100\" height=\"100\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"PC-1\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/07\/pc-1.png?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=50&amp;h=50&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/07\/pc-1.png?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=50&amp;h=50&amp;dpr=2\"\/><\/p>\n<p>                                                        <\/a><br \/>\n                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/tag\/mobile\/\" class=\"pill-group-item\" title=\"Mobile\"><br \/>\n                                                                                                                                                                                    <img width=\"100\" height=\"100\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"phone transparent\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/07\/phone-transparent.png?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=50&amp;h=50&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/07\/phone-transparent.png?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=50&amp;h=50&amp;dpr=2\"\/><\/p>\n<p>                                                        <\/a>\n                                                                                                                                                                                        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                        <!--  Display card community and brand rating widget --><br \/>\n                                                                         <!--  Display card open critics widget --><\/p>\n<p>                                        <!--  Display card main info widget --><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-display-card-info main-info\">\n<dl>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Released<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFebruary 4, 2019<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>ESRB<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\tTeen \/ Blood, Violence, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Publisher(s)<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tElectronic Arts<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Engine<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\tSource on console\/PC, Unreal Engine 4 on mobile<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<\/dl><\/div>\n<p>                                        <!--  Display card main info widget end --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!--  Display card media widget start --><\/p>\n<p>                                        <!--  Display card media widget end --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!-- Where to play button preview --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!-- Where to play preview end --><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <!-- Extra content section, display hidden by default --><br \/>\n            <input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"extra-content-f306-4dc9-9bdbb15bc6e4\" name=\"extra-content-f306-4dc9-9bdbb15bc6e4\" class=\"expand-extra-info-checkbox css-menu-checkbox\"\/> <!-- Checkbox: control the expandable behavior  of the extra info --><\/p>\n<p>            <!-- Display card footer --><\/p>\n<p>            <!-- PROS and CONS section --><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over the years, a lot of different FPS games have come and gone, and as a percentage of how many releases there have been overall, very few make any impact at all. That said, the bigger developers and publishers do tend to have more of a chance, and for them, longevity is usually the best&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34267,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/steam-2-free-games-july-2026-limited-time.jpg?w=1600&h=900&fit=crop","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsweek-trending"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34266","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34266"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34266\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/34267"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34266"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34266"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34266"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}