Apex Legends Mobile is shutting down in May
Electronic Arts announced today that it will be sunsetting Apex Legends Mobile. The decision comes less than a year after the mobile spinoff of its popular battle royale shooter officially launched.
Apex Legends Mobile will continue running for ninety more days; however, all real money in app purchases in the game were disabled starting today. The game has also been removed from webstores. Players will still be able to spend their existing Syndicate Gold during this ninety day period and enjoy the full game until all operations cease at 4:00 p.m. PDT on May 1, 2023. At that point, the game will no longer be playable.
EA made it clear that no refunds will be issued, “per the terms of the EA User Agreement.”
“This decision does not come with ease,” Respawn Entertainment wrote on social media. “Factors beyond our control have prevented us from maintaining the high-quality experience and content that our players deserve.”
We have made the decision to sunset Apex Legends Mobile.
— Respawn (@Respawn) January 31, 2023
We're sure you have a lot of questions. For more information on where things are at currently, including an FAQ, please read the blog below.https://t.co/Yjr4EOJnTq pic.twitter.com/4k3dGzOL12
Apex Legends Mobile was developed by Chinese company Lightspeed and Quantum Studios, a subsidiary of Tencent and the developer of PUBG Mobile, in collaboration with Respawn Entertainment. The game was released on May 17, 2022, and reportedly brought in $5 million in its first week. It seems the early momentum could continue, however.
EA assured fans that the mobile game’s failure is not a reflection on Apex Legends’ popularity as a franchise or the health of the battle royale game on other platforms. I
“This decision for Apex Legends Mobile is platform-specific, and is independent of the game on PC and Consoles,” EA wrote. “As a franchise, Apex Legends is strong and we’re looking forward to sharing exciting updates in the future.”
Apex Legends Mobile wasn’t the only casualty today. EA also announced that Battlefield Mobile, which was in development, has also been scrapped.
What’s interesting about all of this is that EA maintains that Respawn and the Apex Legends “remain excited about mobile as a platform.” So while Apex Legends Mobile may have failed, it’s possible we could see other types of mobile games set in the Titanfall universe. Just maybe not another battle royale version.