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 have fallen short of targets.
Wilson highlighted the ongoing efforts to maintain the game's core experience, including quality-of-life improvements, anti-cheat measures, and consistent content updates. While progress has been made, it hasn't been sufficient to reverse the downward trend.
EA's solution? Apex Legends 2.0, a significant update aimed at revitalizing the franchise, attracting new players, and boosting profitability. However, the launch is strategically planned to avoid clashing with the next Battlefield title, anticipated before April 2026. Therefore, Apex Legends 2.0 is likely slated for release sometime during EA's 2027 fiscal year (ending March 2027).
Wilson emphasized EA's long-term commitment to Apex Legends, envisioning it as a franchise with a lifespan of decades. He described Apex 2.0 not as the final iteration, but a major overhaul designed to attract both existing and new players. The company continues to invest in the game, aiming to cater to its large, competitive player base while also welcoming new audiences.
The Apex Legends 2.0 strategy bears resemblance to Activision's Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 reboot in 2022. While the success of that approach remains debated, EA will undoubtedly learn from its competitors' experiences in the battle royale market.
Despite its current trajectory, Apex Legends remains a top performer on Steam in terms of concurrent players. However, it's significantly below its peak, and its player count is trending downward. EA's challenge is to reverse this trend and re-establish Apex Legends as a leading force in the competitive battle royale landscape.
