Apex Legends has been a massive success since its debut in February of 2019. Only being released a little more than a year ago, Apex Legends has not slowed down with updates and new content. After amassing over 70 million players in the first year, the game's developer, Respawn, has been preparing for expansion due to the game's overwhelming success.

Respawn has been gearing up to open a new studio since 2019. Led by Head of Operations Henry Lee and Team Director Steven Ferreira, the second Respawn studio will be located in Vancouver, Canada, which was chosen because there is already an established EA campus there. Respawn set up the studio in Vancouver about eight months ago and has just started external hiring.

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In an interview with GamesIndustry, Henry Lee explains the appeal to being located in Vancouver: "This is a great opportunity, not just for the Vancouver studio to bring some new creative challenges to people already there, but also to the local industry in terms of being part of the Apex Legends roadmap." By having a Respawn location in Vancouver, they are able to draw from a talent pool that has already been attracted to one of the biggest EA studios in the world.

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The Vancouver studio is primarily focused on just Apex Legends, and the staff's passion for the game reflects that. Team director Steven Ferreira described the hiring process for such focused projects, stating, "We started with who was passionate about making Apex, and we built a team around strong individuals as opposed to a project plan that you would conventionally start off a project around." Respawn is made up of very talented individuals that work towards a common goal, and by establishing a studio focused only on Apex Legends, Respawn is able to enhance the freedom and creativity of the workers.

Although Respawn is owned by EA, Apex Legends is handled by Respawn. The creative freedom granted to Respawn has resulted in successful projects and continued care for the game. EA CFO Blake Jorgenson said, "I've never run a franchise before where there's been so little or no pressure from the publisher or from corporate or my partner about the monetization or the revenue."

Based on the expansion and the huge success of Apex Legends, Respawn is expected to continue to produce amazing work now that the Vancouver studio will be fully equipped to focus on Apex Legends. Apex Legends just released Season Five and is planning on many more seasons in the future.

Apex Legends is currently available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

MORE: Apex Legends Season 5 Character Tier List

Source: Games Industry