In a move which has long been expected by fans, it seems that EA is now officially planning an upcoming Apex Legends mobile launch. Additionally, the company is planning to launch the game in China, where it is not currently available (through legitimate channels, at least). This latest news comes from EA’s recent quarterly earnings call, reported via Seeking Alpha.
EA is Planning an Apex Legends Mobile Launch and to Launch the Game in China
An Apex Legends mobile release has certainly been anticipated for some time. The game’s primary competitor, Fortnite, is already available on mobile, as are some other battle royale titles like PUBG. The news that the game is on its way to the Chinese gaming market should also come as no surprise. After all, China is the largest gaming market in the world. “We are in advanced negotiations to bring Apex Legends to China and to mobile,” said EA COO & CFO Blake Jorgensen; “and we will update you on timeframes when those negotiations are concluded.”
So, for now fans don’t know when these two new launches will occur. However, it seems clear that EA is serious about both. With the news that Apex Legends will be coming to mobile, fans may wonder whether EA also plans to bring the game to the Nintendo Switch. After all, Fortnite is available on the Switch, and Respawn have previously expressed support for the idea. However, we also know that Respawn is being sure to avoid overworking their employees, in contrast to Epic Games. As such, a Switch port may have to come in slower time.
Meanwhile, a launch in China was almost guaranteed to eventually happen for Apex Legends. The move may draw criticism from some fans, who see China as the source for a great many cheaters and hackers. However, as pointed out by a Respawn dev recently; the very fact that the game is not officially available in China means that the only people playing the game in the country are people who are much more likely to cheat and hack! As such, opening the game in the country legitimately isn’t likely to cause a huge rise in such behaviour. In fact, Respawn’s attempts to combat hacking have proven fairly effective of late.