The Rise and Fall of Apex Legends Mobile

Apex Legends Mobile: The Rise and Fall of Respawn Mobile

In May 2022, the gaming world stood still as Respawn Entertainment, the creative minds behind Apex Legends, ventured into the mobile gaming market with Apex Legends Mobile. The promise of a portable Apex Legends experience had players eager to jump into the action on their smartphones, boosting the Apex Games universe with a whole new game that even included exclusive Apex Legends characters. Fast forward to December 7, 2023, and the landscape looked drastically different. EA, the parent company of Respawn, decided to pull the plug on Apex Legends Mobile, leaving the gaming community in shock.

Just shy of celebrating its one-year anniversary, Apex Legends Mobile was announced to shut down in all regions on May 1, 2023. Respawn Entertainment, in collaboration with Tencent’s Lightspeed and Quantum Studios, made this unexpected announcement as part of EA's Q3 FY203 earnings results. The revelation sent ripples through the gaming community, especially given the relatively short lifespan of the mobile adaptation.

The termination was framed as a "mutual decision" between Respawn and its development partner. However, the tone changed when Respawn, in a news post, admitted that Apex Legends Mobile had fallen short of the envisioned standards in terms of quality, quantity, and content cadence. Despite a promising start, the game failed to maintain its momentum.

As the news hit, players were hit with a double whammy—not only was the game shutting down, but any items or extras purchased within Apex Legends Mobile would also vanish into the digital abyss. You read that right. Respawn offered no refunds to anyone, which caused a huge commotion, especially among those who had invested real money in the game. Adding insult to injury, EA clarified in an FAQ that there would be no refunds for real money purchases, as that was stated in the terms of the EA User Agreement.

Despite the fact that it was true, the gaming community didn't appreciate this decision, especially in light of other developers' more consumer-friendly strategies in a similar situation. Iron Galaxy and Epic Games, for instance, opted to refund players for purchases in Rumbleverse ahead of its cancellation.

Amidst the disappointment, there's a silver lining—sort of. EA's CEO, Andrew Wilson, hinted at the possibility of a reimagined Apex mobile experience in the future. During the earnings call, Wilson stated that the decision to close this "version" of the game was made in collaboration with the development partner.

He emphasized that mobile would be a "growth vector in the future" for the Apex franchise, indicating that the dream of Apex on mobile might not be entirely dead as it would boost the company’s finances and popularity in a new market.

In a surprising turn of events, EA also revealed they would shut down development for its planned Battlefield mobile game, announced in April 2021. The decision comes from the company's evolving strategy and the desire to boost a deeply connected Battlefield ecosystem. Battlefield 2042's underwhelming debut played a role in prompting EA to reevaluate its approach to the franchise.

After the two shutdowns, EA's language around a "deeply connected Battlefield ecosystem" suggests a broader strategy for its mobile games. The company sees success in launches deeply connected to broader franchises, with a focus on cross-progression and a unified gaming experience. This strategy aims to create a sense of community across platforms.

Only time will reveal the fate of Respawn's ambitious adventure into the mobile gaming market. Until then, stay tuned and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the best Apex Legends memes and news!

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