Apex Legends fans urge EA to support ALGS following NRG exit
Respawn EntertainmentNRG’s exit from the ALGS has sparked controversy in the Apex Legends community, and many fans of both Apex Legends and its esports scene are calling on EA to give more support to organizations and keep the scene alive.
2023 hasn’t been the best year for the ALGS. While the level of competition has been high and there have been some great moments for individual players, organizations have been departing the esport one by one in a trend that started in late 2022.
Though NRG certainly wasn’t the first major esports org to distance themselves from Apex Legends, they were certainly the most transparent about their reasons for leaving and directly blamed EA’s lack of support for why they had to let go of their prospects in the battle royale.
This has led to an outcry from passionate fans of both NRG and the esport in general, with many hoping that EA will provide more incentives for esports orgs to stick around.
Apex Legends players urge EA to support ALGS orgs
Though the Battle Royale craze has come and gone, Apex Legends has stood the test of time along with a few other titles as the absolute best the genre has to offer. Additionally, its wealth of movement options, weapons, and diverse character roster give it a skill ceiling and level of depth few in the genre can match.
So, it should come as no surprise that the game has had an incredible run in the competitive space. The esport has had some great moments and has managed to compete with esports giants like Valve and Riot Games.
However, the recent downturn has been attributed to a lack of support for the esports scene from EA according to NRG, to the point where they’ve been forced to depart. The Apex Legends community has rallied behind the org, urging EA to make changes that can help in holding on to the orgs that are still invested.
Though many thought that changes needed to come from EA to make progress, not everyone in a thread discussing the issue was optimistic about any of those changes coming to fruition.
The original poster who started the conversation claimed that EA not offering skin bundles to participating orgs “screams bad management and greed” from the company.
Some thought that EA, from a financial standpoint, doesn’t have much incentive for the esport to succeed in the first place. “You seem to think EA wants the esport to succeed. Esports are money pits. They don’t make money, and profit sharing reasonably would mean they get even less back to recoup losses. The longer it goes, the more they invest for no return.”
However, another Redditor argued that having a thriving esports scene contributes to a game’s longevity and profitability even if that profit doesn’t come directly from the esport itself.
“Competitive scenes let games last much longer. Look at MK versus Street Fighter. MK dies within 3 months of releasing. Look at CS and Val.” There’s an additional comparison to be drawn here from Valve and Riot games completely making over their in-game client for big esports events while Apex Legends has next to no in-game support for their esport.
Those on the competitive Apex subreddit called NRG’s departure the “end of an era”, with many blaming EA for the esport’s grim future. “We have a godly esport here and of course it’s in the hands of the greediest company to ever exist,” lamented one Redditor.
Ultimately, the community seems to believe the ALGS is a step behind other prominent esports that are already struggling. As its most prominent players criticize the recent seasons and the esports space, it remains to be seen if the ailing pro scene has an impact on the long-term player base and if EA plan to make any significant changes.