EA's Apex Legends: A Sixth Birthday and a 2.0 Reboot?
As Apex Legends approaches its sixth anniversary, EA acknowledges its underperformance despite a massive player base. While boasting over 200 million players, the game's revenue isn't meeting EA's expectations. CEO Andrew Wilson confirmed this in a recent financial call, stating that Apex Legends' net bookings are down year-on-year, though in line with projections.
Wilson highlighted the ongoing commitment to the tens of millions of daily players, focusing on improving quality of life, anti-cheat measures, and consistent content updates. While progress has been made, it hasn't been sufficient to meet EA's financial goals.
The solution? Apex Legends 2.0. This significant update aims to revitalize the franchise, attract new players, and ultimately boost revenue. However, its release is strategically planned for after the launch of the next Battlefield game (anticipated before April 2026), likely sometime in EA's 2027 fiscal year.
Wilson emphasized the long-term vision for Apex Legends, aiming to build a franchise that endures for decades, similar to EA's other successful titles. Apex 2.0 isn't intended as a final iteration but a major step in the game's evolution. Continued investment in the existing community and the development of features to attract new players remain key priorities.
The Apex Legends 2.0 approach bears resemblance to Activision's Warzone 2.0 reboot. While the success of that strategy remains debatable, EA is undoubtedly aware of the competitive battle royale landscape and will learn from past successes and failures.
Despite its current trajectory, Apex Legends maintains a strong presence on Steam's concurrent player count charts, although it's significantly below its peak and trending towards record lows. This underscores the need for EA's planned revitalization efforts.
