Apex legends, one of the best battle royale games, is now all set to release mobile versions. EA confirmed the release of apex legends in android and iOS by the end of 2020.
EA CEO Andrew Wilson confirmed in a recent call that Apex Legends on Android and iOS is set for a “soft-launch” by the end of 2020.
From EA’s Investor Fireside Chat today: “Apex Legends in the soft launch by the end of this year (on mobile)”.
Apex Legends is a battle royale game developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox Oneon on February 4, 2019. And it has been a big success for EA in its first year.
This free-to-play title attracted 25 million players during its first week of availability, and 50 million within its first month. It now boosts to around eight to 10 million players a week, EA’s latest statistics say.
IN ONE of the announcements regarding apex legends, EA said, “We are 100% committed to the long-term growth of Apex Legends, and supporting the millions playing every day.”
EA and apex legends
The release of pubg and Fortnite in androids and iOS has highly affected the sensation for battle royale games. It is likely to expect that EA, with the release of apex legends in android and iOS, is preparing to put forth its fastest-growing franchise in the market.
The company said that Apex Legends has been easily “the fastest-growing franchise” it has ever had.
Preparations
EA is working with a Chinese partner to “create a mobile Apex Legends that will be released globally,” as reported by industry insider and analyst Daniel Ahmad.
The title of the Chinese partner is not yet out. Still, Tencent being the partner of EA in some the former projects such as FIFA ONLINE 4 and Need For Speed Online, it is highly anticipated to be the same this time.
EA chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen commented, “Rolling mobile out in China, you need to have a partner, and we’re, as we’ve said in the prepared remarks today, working with a partner there. We’re very excited about the opportunity.”
The exact release date is not announced yet. EA will surely take time to create a unique mobile game that boosts up their player-count. Planning of promotional events can also affect the launch dates. EA is likely to make sure the mobile version also makes remarkable success.
However, this “soft-launch” could mean that a full-blown launch is saved for 2021. The release dates can be around the first anniversary of the game i.e. 4th February.
Amidst the pandemic
Also, this pandemic has given a sudden rise to the gaming industry. According to research, the countries having a major part of the gaming audience have noted more than 30% growth in the number of players. People are likely to move towards mobile gaming more, in the distant future. It is a prominent time for EA to release apex legends in android and iOS.
Unity found, ‘Mobile gaming activity rose 17% during the early days of the pandemic in the U.S.’
Challenges
Games like Pubg and Fortnite, have proved that mobile phones are capable of delivering almost a console-quality experience. And as well as reserved a large part of the audience already, with a well-established system. EA should try to schedule the launch as early as possible, while battle royale games are still very popular. It already faces tough competition on mobile. Any delays will only make it more difficult to survive in the competition.
