With “Creator Tournament Series,” is ‘Apex Legends’ trying to be like ‘Fortnite’?

Apex Legends‘ next influencer gauntlet will be a little different from what battle royale players have come to expect. The multiplayer game developed by Electronic Arts subsidiary Respawn Entertainment is playing host to the Creator Tournament Series, which will pit streamers against one another across the “wildest, most unforgettable events.”

Since its 2019 launch, Apex has maintained a passionate creator community. Tyler “Ninja” Blevins won Twitch’s first Apex tourney, Red Bull tapped high-profile players for a hotel-themed activation in Chicago, and big names like iiTzTimmy have signed with major talent agencies.

Thus far, the majority of Apex activity has featured the game’s standard battle royale mode, which mirrors similar titles like Warzone and Fortnite. The Creator Tournament Series, however, will shake things up. As explained on the EA website, the influencer competition will feature creator-built maps with eclectic rulesets.

Interested designers can submit their gameplay ideas via the Apex creator hub. “We don’t want the same old tournament format – we’re looking to create one-of-a-kind and unforgettable experiences for the Apex community,” reads EA’s info page. “Melee only? Great! Turn Apex into a [tabletop] RPG? Deal! One bin challenge? Even better! If you can dream it, you can pitch it!”

If you’re wondering why Respawn is shaking up Apex, look no further than the game’s biggest competitor. Fortnite 

began as a straightforward battle royale game, but it has since evolved into a sandbox platform that powers a variety of creator-made experiences.

With that pivot to Roblox-style entertainment, Fortnite paid out more than $350 million to creators in 2024 alone, and experience studios have become thriving businesses. Brands have come calling, and notable developers like Typical Gamer have amassed seven-digit follower counts through Fortnite alone.

Recently, however, there has been some disputes between Fortnite publisher Epic Games and its creator community, and that friction opens up an opportunity for Apex to get creative. Respawn’s battle royale title has seen its player base decline since its high-water mark; according to Steam Charts, the game’s peak concurrent numbers are less than half of what they were during February 2023.

Apex still has plenty of admirers, but a Fortnite-style pivot will help prevent it from becoming the next PUBG. After all, the battle royale genre as a whole is just like its signature free-for-all game mode: Winning requires constant upgrades, and one wrong move can get you eliminated. The Creator Tournament Series is an evolution of sorts, one that looks to bring Apex back to the apex of its category.