Apex Legends is a 2019 battle royale-hero shooter video game created by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts. It takes place in the same science fiction universe as Respawn’s Titanfall series. The game is available for free and receives regular updates. It was first released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in February 2019. Later versions were released for Nintendo Switch in 2021, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2022, and Nintendo Switch 2 in 2025. All versions allow players to compete with others across different platforms. A mobile version for touchscreen devices was available briefly until 2023.

Before a match begins, players join teams of 1 to 4 members and choose from pre-designed characters with special abilities called "Legends." The game includes multiple modes with different team sizes. In the battle royale mode, up to 20 teams of three players or 15 teams of two players compete. In "Arenas," players form teams of three and compete in a 3v3 team deathmatch over several rounds. A team wins by earning at least 3 points and being 2 points ahead of the opposing team.

Development of Apex Legends started around late 2016, but the project was kept secret until its release. The game’s 2019 launch surprised many because it was not announced beforehand. At the time, it was believed Respawn Entertainment was working on a new Titanfall game, though some Titanfall characters appear as minor characters or playable Legends in Apex Legends.

Critics praised Apex Legends for its gameplay, progression system, and mix of game styles. It was compared favorably to other battle royale games. Within its first week, the game had more than 25 million players, and over 50 million players within its first month. By April 2021, it had reached about 100 million players, making it one of the most played video games in history by player count.

Gameplay

Apex Legends is a free-to-play online multiplayer battle royale game. Players team up in squads of three and use pre-made characters called "Legends," each with unique abilities similar to those in hero shooter games. Since its release, alternate game modes have allowed squads of up to four players. The game earns money through microtransactions and loot boxes, which let players spend real money or in-game currency on cosmetic items like character outfits and weapon colors.

Each Legend has a unique design, personality, and abilities that offer different ways to play. Starting with Season 16, every Legend is grouped into one of five classes: Assault, Skirmisher, Recon, Controller, or Support. There are 25 playable characters in the game, divided into these five classes. Many of their designs are based on characters from the Titanfall series.

Two exclusive characters were only available in the mobile version of Apex Legends. The game is divided into two main categories: core and freestyle.

Matches typically include 20 teams of three-player squads. Players can join friends or be randomly matched with others. Before a match, each squad member chooses one of the 25 available characters (as of Season 19), but no character can be selected more than once per squad.

All teams begin on an aircraft that flies over the game map. One player, called the jumpmaster, decides when the squad will jump out of the aircraft and where to land, with the agreement of the other squad members. Players may choose to deviate from the squad’s path after jumping.

Once on the ground, squads search for weapons, armor, and other equipment scattered across the map. The game includes a nonverbal communication system called the "ping system," which lets players use their controller to signal directions, enemy locations, or strategies to their squad. Movement mechanics resemble those in other shooter games, but Apex Legends also includes features from Titanfall, such as climbing short walls, sliding down slopes, and using zip-lines.

Over time, the game’s safe zone shrinks around a random point on the map. Players outside the safe zone take damage and may die if they do not reach it in time. This forces teams into smaller areas, increasing encounters. The last squad with any surviving members wins the match and is named "Apex Champions." If a player is knocked down, they can be revived by their squadmates. If a player is killed, they can be brought back to life if their teammates collect a respawn banner (which appears where the player died) and take it to one of several beacons on the map. However, the banner must be collected within a time limit or it will disappear, and the player will be eliminated.

Mixtape is a game mode that includes three sub-modes: Team Deathmatch, Control, and Gun Run.

In addition to seasonal content, Apex Legends has limited-time events. These events offer unique, temporary cosmetics (such as Christmas-themed outfits during the Holo-Day Bash) that can be earned in-game. Events also introduce limited-time game modes (like matches with only shotguns or snipers) and sometimes change the map with new themed areas called "Town Takeovers."

Some events only offer purchasable cosmetics, such as those from the "Summer of Plunder" or "Arena Flash Events" in Seasons 9–10. Others include limited-time modes without exclusive items, like the Battle Armor mode (April 28 to May 12, 2020), where players start matches with armor and a weapon.

Season 9 introduced a new mode called "Arenas." In this mode, squads of three players compete in a 3v3 team deathmatch across multiple rounds. A team wins by earning at least 3 points and being 2 points ahead. If the score reaches 4–4 in the ninth round, a sudden-death round begins. This system helps prevent long, unbalanced matches and keeps competitive games exciting.

Unlike the battle royale mode, Arenas starts with squads in a "shop" where they can buy equipment and ability charges using materials earned in previous rounds. This mode borrows mechanics from games like Counter-Strike and Valorant. It was the first permanent change to the battle royale format but was later removed in Season 16.

The Season 20 update, called "Breakout," introduces major changes, including upgradeable skill trees for Legends. These trees allow players to improve their characters’ abilities in a way similar to games like MOBA titles, promising more intense and strategic battles.

Seasons

Each new season introduces a new playable character, new weapons, or items you can buy to customize your character. The game's first season started on March 19, 2019. Each season includes special passes that are only available for a limited time. These passes give players cosmetic items if they complete in-game challenges during the season. In addition to cosmetic items, each season brings changes to the game map and new ways to play.

Development

Developer Respawn Entertainment created Titanfall (2014) and Titanfall 2 (2016), both published by Electronic Arts (EA). In 2017, EA acquired Respawn Entertainment.

Design director Mackey McCandlish said work on Apex Legends began before Titanfall 2 was completed in 2016. By 2018, all members of the Titanfall team at Respawn were working on Apex Legends. However, executive producer Drew McCoy stated that development officially started in spring 2017. He noted that about 115 developers worked on Apex Legends, making it the studio’s most demanding project. Titanfall 2 had around 85 developers.

McCoy explained that after finishing support for Titanfall 2, the studio was unsure what their next game would be. They wanted to continue the Titanfall series but divided into small teams to create "action blocks," which are short game prototypes showing gameplay ideas. One prototype was inspired by the battle royale genre, like the game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. This prototype was successful, and the studio expanded the idea.

Designers decided that the large, pilotable Titans from previous games would not work well in battle royale. Instead, they focused on strong character classes. They also found that features like wall-running made gameplay too hard in battle royale, as players would struggle to spot threats.

Respawn Entertainment CEO Vince Zampella told VentureBeat that Apex Legends, a free-to-play battle royale game, was a new challenge for the studio. The team focused on making gameplay fun through team-based play rather than solo play. Major design choices, such as team sizes and map size, were based on what felt most enjoyable to the developers.

McCandlish said the team aimed to add their unique style to the battle royale genre. They chose three-player squads and limited the number of teams to 20, believing this gave players a better chance to win and created a more personal experience. The studio also wanted to create a "defensible space" in the game, which they achieved through communication systems, small squads, and a smaller map.

During development, the game was tested extensively to ensure it was fun and balanced. Developers spent 100 to 200 hours daily testing the game. To improve the non-verbal communication system, the studio tested the game for a month without voice chat and used fake names to simulate player experiences.

Before release, Respawn’s marketing director, Arturo Castro, worked on naming and promoting the game. He noted that while Apex Legends had elements from Titanfall, it lacked key features like Titans and a single-player story. Since Respawn was also working on Titanfall 3, they decided not to market Apex Legends as part of the Titanfall series to avoid confusing fans. Instead, they treated it as a new intellectual property (IP).

McCoy said they had to convince EA to support the game, as EA did not expect a battle royale title. Castro mentioned that a marketing strategy inspired by Beyoncé’s surprise album release was used. The studio secretly invited influencers to test the game and share hints on social media during the Super Bowl.

Respawn CEO Zampella found the strategy "gross," comparing it to the Fyre Festival scandal, but Castro believed it worked because the game was ready for release. The game’s success in player numbers and streaming viewership supported this choice.

Apex Legends uses a modified version of the Source engine, which was also used for Titanfall 2. Adjustments were made to handle larger maps and longer distances. The game pushes the engine’s limits, leading to lower image quality and frame rates on consoles and lower-end PCs.

McCoy confirmed plans for cross-platform play in the future, though progress and purchases cannot be shared between systems due to hardware limits. He also hopes to bring Apex Legends to iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch.

Anonymous reports say Tencent Games is working with EA to release Apex Legends in China, as required by local laws. In 2020, EA confirmed it was partnering with a local firm to bring the game to PC in China.

In May 2020, Respawn opened a new studio in Vancouver, Canada, to support Apex Legends. During the June 2020 EA Play event, Respawn announced Apex Legends would be available on Steam for Windows and Nintendo Switch by late 2020. The game would also support cross-platform play across all platforms.

Reception

Apex Legends received "generally favorable" reviews on most platforms, according to Metacritic, a website that collects game reviews. The version for Nintendo Switch received "mixed or average" reviews. Some publications, including Destructoid, Game Informer, GamesRadar+, and PC Gamer, said it was one of the best battle royale games ever made and a strong competitor to Fortnite Battle Royale.

Critics praised the combat in Apex Legends. Destructoid said the gunplay was the best they had seen in a battle royale game, but they were disappointed that some features from earlier Titanfall games were missing. Javy Gwaltney of Game Informer said the absence of Titans and other elements from previous Respawn games was not a problem and that the combat was satisfying and powerful. He also said the addition of heroes made the game’s battles more exciting than other battle royale games.

Reviewers liked the non-verbal communication system in the game, called the "ping system." Most said it was a creative idea. Polygon’s Khee Hoon Chan said the system made talking with strangers unnecessary and showed how accessible and smart the game was. Destructoid also liked the system and thought it might become standard in battle royale games. Rock Paper Shotgun called it the best example of non-verbal communication in games and noted that Respawn Entertainment improved an idea that had been used before.

Electronic Arts had a patent for the ping system in 2021 but decided to let game developers use it for free without legal issues starting in August 2021. IGN gave the game a score of 9 out of 10, saying it was a well-made battle royale game with strong characters, a good communication system, and smooth gameplay.

Apex Legends was praised for including diverse characters, including LGBTQ individuals and a non-binary character. Some reviewers said the game’s format did not allow for stories that fully highlighted this diversity.

Eight hours after its release, Apex Legends had over one million unique players. Within 24 hours, it reached 2.5 million players. In one week, it had 25 million players, with over 2 million playing at the same time. By the end of its first month, it had 50 million players total.

In its first month, Apex Legends earned $92 million, the most any free-to-play game made during its launch month. As the game became popular, it was seen as a competitor to Fortnite Battle Royale. Four days after its release, Electronic Arts saw its largest stock increase since 2014. In April 2019, the game earned about $24 million, which was 74% less than its first month’s earnings, as interest declined.

In July 2019, Electronic Arts said the game had 8 to 10 million players each week and credited it with helping the company’s financial results improve. After season 3 was released in October 2019, the game had 70 million players worldwide and earned $45 million that month.

In February 2021, Electronic Arts’ CFO said Apex Legends had earned over $1 billion. In April 2021, before the release of season 9, the game had over 100 million players and was expected to earn $500 million that year.

In May 2022, Electronic Arts said the game had earned over $2 billion. In August 2024, the game set a record for the most players online at the same time on Steam, with 510,286 players.

Between February and December 2024, the game lost 70% of its Steam players, which may show declining interest. Electronic Arts said revenue dropped in 2024, and expectations for future earnings were lowered.

In August 2019, the game introduced the "Iron Crown" event, which included in-game cosmetic items that could only be bought through loot boxes. One highly desired item, a cosmetic axe, required players to buy 24 other items first, making it cost about $170. Critics said this was too expensive compared to other games.

This caused complaints from players and media, especially on Reddit, where players and developers exchanged harsh messages. Respawn Entertainment apologized for unfair monetization and promised to let players buy items directly, though at higher prices. The company’s CEO later apologized for some team members’ comments but defended their response to threats against their families.

In July 2021, hackers changed in-game messages to promote a website claiming to "Save Titanfall." The website criticized the weak security of Titanfall games, which had been attacked by hackers. A community investigation found the website’s owners were involved in hacking Apex servers and attacking Titanfall servers as a false flag to push for a return of the canceled Titanfall Online game.

In October 2021, the "Monsters Within" event was released as the Halloween event. Players were upset because the Shadow Royale game mode was not available at launch and only offered during the event’s final week. There was also controversy over how the event’s skins were sold, as players could not buy them individually. Many players also reported crashes and game-breaking bugs during the event.

Spinoff media

In February 2023, it was announced that Apex Legends: The Board Game would start a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter on May 17. The campaign began as planned and reached its target in seven hours. The game is being created by Glass Cannon Unplugged and includes team battles for up to four players.