The Real Reason Titanfall 2 Is Making A Comeback
If you are in the mood for some PC multiplayer action, sites such as SteamDB and Steam Charts provide a good metric of what is currently popular. According to both sites, "Titanfall 2" has seen a titanic uptick in popularity. Whenever a semi-old game like that experiences a new lease on life, people tend to wonder why. Did the game go on sale? Did Respawn finally receive the green light to produce "Titanfall 3?" In this case, the answer is a sale ... that, and "Apex Legends."
According to SteamDB, two weeks ago, "Titanfall 2" dropped 75% in price, bringing it to $7.50. Granted, the game goes on sale with startling regularity (usually with a 67% discount that prices the game at $9.90), so what made this sale more popular than previous ones? Sites such as IGN and Eurogamer have pointed to the fact that the latest discount coincided with an influx of "Titanfall" content in "Apex Legends."
Recently, Respawn entertainment revealed the new "Apex Legends" season, dubbed "Legacy." The announcement trailer teased the latest Legend, Valkyrie, as well as the introduction of the new 3v3 Arenas mode that takes the game "beyond battle royale." Not only is Valkyrie linked to "Titanfall 2" (she's the daughter of one of the game's antagonists, Viper), but the in-game mastermind behind the new 3v3 mode is also firmly planted in "Titanfall" history.
The end of the trailer indicates that a mysterious android is behind recent in-game events that led to arenas. Well, they're mainly mysterious to audiences who aren't up to snuff on their "Titanfall" knowledge and know how that series ties into the "Apex Legends" story. This new character is none other than Ash, another supporting antagonist from "Titanfall 2." Players might have killed her in that game, but the Legend known as Pathfinder restored her to life — or whatever you call human consciousness in a robotic shell — in "Apex Legends."
Even though Respawn seemingly abandoned (or at least delayed) plans for "Titanfall 3" in order to produce more "Apex Legends" content, the studio is giving gamers the next best thing by inserting "Titanfall" characters into its battle royale. Clearly, this has resulted in some popularity runoff. As of this writing, "Titanfall 2" has recently hit an impressive peak of around 16,000 concurrent players (according to SteamDB).
With any luck, Respawn will add more "Titanfall" alum to "Apex Legends," which could keep the "Titanfall 2" second wind train running. "Apex Legends" probably won't include Titans, at least for the foreseeable future, but who knows? If enough "Titanfall" faces are added to "Apex Legends," perhaps "Titanfall 2" will become retroactively popular enough to receive a sequel.