EA's Apex Legends: A Sixth Birthday and a 2.0 Reboot?
As Apex Legends approaches its sixth anniversary, EA has acknowledged the game's underperformance in terms of revenue, despite maintaining a substantial player base. While boasting over 200 million players, EA CEO Andrew Wilson stated that the game's financial trajectory hasn't met expectations.
Wilson highlighted ongoing efforts to support the existing community through quality-of-life improvements, anti-cheat measures, and new content. However, he admitted that progress hasn't been as significant as desired.
To address this, EA is developing "Apex Legends 2.0," a major update aiming to revitalize the franchise, attract new players, and boost revenue. This significant overhaul, however, is slated for release after the next Battlefield title (anticipated before April 2026), likely sometime in EA's 2027 fiscal year.
Wilson emphasized EA's long-term commitment to Apex Legends, envisioning it as a franchise capable of enduring for decades. Apex 2.0 is not intended as the game's final iteration, but rather a significant step in its evolution. The company plans to continue investing in the core community and expand the game's appeal to new audiences.
This strategy echoes Activision's approach with Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0, although the success of that reboot remains debatable. EA will undoubtedly be studying the performance of competing battle royale titles as it navigates this crucial update.
Despite its current challenges, Apex Legends remains a top-performing game on Steam in terms of concurrent players. However, its player count is significantly below its peak, and a downward trend is evident.
