Apex Legends is one of the most popular battle royale games on the market, and with EA seeing the success of battle royales on mobile devices, it makes sense that the publisher would want to see the game on the platform. However, EA’s CEO has confirmed that Apex Legends on mobile has been pushed back, with a new release date window provided.
The original launch date of Apex Legends on mobile was set for late 2020, however it has become increasingly clear as the months pass that the game will not meet that date. As such, EA has decided to be a bit less tight-lipped regarding the project, as the company’s CEO Andrew Wilson has mentioned a delay for Apex Legends’ mobile version. In a section on EA’s website discussing quarterly earnings, the delay was officially announced, and the mobile game was confirmed to have a new estimated completion date of early 2021.
Wilson then went on to reveal that the game will arrive in “FY22,” which is a lengthy period from October 2021 to September 2022. While Apex Legends is clearly a ways off for mobile players, confirmation that it is still coming and on track to complete development soon is reassuring. There will supposedly be a few new features in the mobile version of Apex Legends, though it is unclear what features, if any, will be missing from the main game.
With Apex Legends recently arriving on Steam, EA seems to be doing all they can to get the Respawn battle royale played by as many gamers as possible. With Apex Legends constantly being updated with balancing changes and new content like with other free-to-play titles, it is likely that the game will retain much of its player count and popularity for some time to come. The eventual mobile release will only see the Apex Legends ecosystem extend further, and it is a smart move to help give the game new life.
Both PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Fortnite have proven how successful mobile versions of console and PC battle royales can be, and it is easy to see why EA would like to replicate that success with Apex Legends. Call of Duty is another major AAA title that successfully transitioned to mobile devices, with the game’s many achievements making Activision Blizzard want more mobile games for all its major franchises. While EA may not be looking to go quite that far just yet, the release of Apex Legends on iOS and Android devices makes plenty of sense from a business standpoint.
With Apex Legends on track to earn $1 Billion for EA by 2021, it is unlikely that the company stops pushing and supporting the game anytime soon. If there is a gaming platform released without Apex Legends playable on it, it is a safe bet that it will not remain that way for long.
Apex Legends is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with a Switch version currently in development.
Source: EA