I think it's less about the hype though and more about the kind of game and culture surrounding it. Apex and Fortnight are "Battle Royale" games, but Apex steers much closer to the likes of PUBG, Blackout, and Firestorm in being an objective-first design model. They're more, I don't know how to put it, traditional I guess? The only reason to play is to master the game systems and conquer your opponents. The skill ceiling is high enough that the gameplay loop and hook revolves around just immersing yourself in the combat in of itself.
Fortnight really is much more than a Battle Royale game. It's heavily driven by a social, communal aspects in the same way Minecraft was, and Epic knows how to play to that market with its various seasonal themes, items, and other gimmicks that aren't really added as a means to expand and balance the game in the framework of its core design, so much as give the social aspect more fluff to talk about, stream, and engage in with friends.
Until a game comes out that can capture the same essence that Minecraft and Fortnight have, the latter will stay on top.
