In May 2022, Respawn lifted the curtain on Apex Legends Mobile, only to shut it down a week before the game’s one-year anniversary. What happened to Apex Legends Mobile?
Apex Legends Mobile had a big launch, roping players from other mobile games like PUBG, COD, and more. Since Apex Legends on PC had already earned its stripes as one of the best battle royale games, players had high expectations from the mobile counterpart, with some calling it the “PUBG-killer.” However, the reality was much different.
On May 1, 2023, Respawn announced it was pulling the plug on Apex Legends Mobile since it fell short in quality and cadence. According to the developer, “factors beyond its control” prevented it from maintaining a high-quality experience, leaving no option but to halt the operations.
“We have made the painful decision to sunset Apex Legends Mobile. This decision doesn’t come with ease. Factors beyond our control have prevented us from maintaining the high-quality experience and content that our players deserve,” Respawn said.
Despite its initial popularity, Apex Legends Mobile was marred by a slew of bugs and technical issues. The frequent server crashes and lag problems were a constant source of frustration for players. Even with the team’s efforts to release regular patches, the game’s stability remained a major concern throughout its lifespan. This continuous struggle eventually led to a decline in its popularity, forcing Respawn to remove it from the Play Store.
The game stayed up for all 11 months and one day. The news of Apex being shut down was shocking for players who truly enjoyed it. It even managed to win Game of the Year awards for both iPhone and Android in 2022.
Apex Legends Mobile characters were mostly the same as the PC counterpart. Respawn Entertainment initially rolled out the mobile game with ten characters, with Fade getting the spotlight. The mobile-exclusive legend tempted PC players to take the mobile version for a swing.
Later, the developer added another legend exclusive to mobile, DJ Raphsody. Both never made an entrance to the PC version, even after Apex Legends mobile was shut down.
It’s unknown whether Apex Legends Mobile will return, but players are hopeful, thanks to EA’s chief executive officer Andrew Wilson’s words.
In EA’s quarterly financial conference call, Wilson said that the developer has “plans to reimagine a connected Apex Mobile experience in the future.”
The future is yet unknown, but players have their fingers crossed.
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