The most popular new game of 2019 arrived as a complete surprise; Electronic Arts released "Apex Legends " on the same day it was announced, February 4th, with no advance marketing.
That's an incredibly bold move in the gaming industry, which typically builds anticipation for a hot new title months in advance by spending millions of dollars in marketing campaigns.
Skipping the pre-release ad blitz was a gamble, but the makers of "Apex Legends" had a secret weapon: EA and developer Respawn Entertainment partnered with a group of popular professional gamers to help promote "Apex Legends" directly to their massive online followings during the first two days of the launch.
"Apex Legends" influencers included Tyler "Ninja" Blevins, the world's most popular professional gamer, and other top video game streamers like Michael "Shroud" Grzesiek, "Jack "CouRage" Dunlop, and Herschel "Dr. Disrespect" Beahm IV. An anonymous source told Reuters that Electronic Arts paid Ninja $1 million to participate in the Apex Partner program; other partners were paid as well but their rates were not specified.
Here's why EA's decision to partner with influencers was so smart: