Electronic Arts announced Apex Legends Mobile in 2019, with plans to release it this year. The full iOS and Android launches aren’t here quite yet, though some players will soon have a chance to experience the mobile port of Respawn Entertainment’s popular hero shooter.EA recently announced its plans to roll out Apex Legends Mobile for Android in select countries. Players in Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand can pre-register now on the Google Play Store.EA recently released a statement announcing the upcoming launch in those countries. It was subsequently shared on Twitter by Alpha Intel, a Dexerto-affiliated account that shares Apex Legends news and leaks. However, Electronic Arts didn’t indicate when it would open pre-registration for players outside the listed countries. Neither did EA confirm when Apex Legends Mobile will arrive on iOS, simply asking fans to “stay tuned” for future updates.
Mobile developers generally soft launch their products to test app usage and player spending habits. The above-mentioned New Zealand and Australia, in particular, are popular test markets because of their small size and shared language with the US and UK. This is different from a beta, as the games are generally finished when developers commit to this sort of test run. That means Apex Legends Mobile is most likely on track for a global release later in 2022.
Apex Legends Mobile is being developed in-house by Respawn Entertainment. However, the studio is getting assistance from Chinese company Tencent. Apex Legends Director Chad Grenier later explained that it’s a collaborative effort between the core development team and a crew of mobile app developers brought in specifically for the project. Hopefully, this means Apex Legends survives the jump to mobile without serious issues.
The mobile version of Apex Legends will be free to play with paid cosmetics, just like the console and PC versions. Respawn’s previously restated its commitment to avoiding pay-to-win monetization and confirmed that the rule extends to Apex Legends Mobile as well. However, the mobile version will have separate Battle Passes that include collectibles and unlockables not available on other platforms.
Respawn also previously confirmed that Apex Legends Mobile will not feature cross-play with the PC or console versions of Apex Legends. While no doubt disappointing for some, the decision was not completely unexpected. Most mobile ports do not offer cross-play functionality, with a few notable exceptions like fellow battle royale Fortnite. Respawn Entertainment explained the decision by saying, “Apex Legends Mobile is specially designed for touchscreens, with streamlined controls and thoughtful optimizations that result in the most advanced battle royale combat available on a phone.”
Either way, the upcoming soft launch is excellent news for Apex Legends fans on mobile in the relevant countries. Hopefully, it means that the global iOS and Android launches are right around the corner.
Apex Legends Mobile is in development for iOS and Android devices.