EA's "Apex Legends" title "exploded onto the gaming landscape in February," and its "rapid rise caught the attention of esports investors who saw potential for the game to become the next big property in competitive gaming," according to Nicole Carpenter of the WASHINGTON POST. The "only problem" was that there was "no established competitive circuit and there still isn't." Five months after "Apex Legends" was released, just a "handful of one-off tournaments have been announced and no overarching framework exists to govern the Apex scene as there is around 'League of Legends,' 'Overwatch' or 'Fortnite.'" A pair of Twitch Rivals events "launched the competitive scene around Apex but it has gone mostly dormant since." Developer Respawn Entertainment has been "slowly building up a foundation to support" the game's "massive growth." But that "deliberate pace has largely halted the momentum the game accumulated from its smashing debut." Once streamers began "transitioning back to 'Fortnite' and other game titles, Twitch numbers for 'Apex Legends' started to decline." Traditionally, titles with "long-standing success inspire [a] growing, grass roots scene." But "Apex Legends" has "felt different due to its attention-grabbing launch, which drew investors' attention and triggered competition to sign the best available players" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 7/10).
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