EA Plans Apex Legends 2.0 Release Post-Battlefield

As *Apex Legends*, Respawn's popular battle royale, approaches its sixth anniversary, Electronic Arts (EA) has acknowledged that the game is not meeting its financial expectations. In a recent financial call discussing third-quarter results, EA revealed that *Apex Legends* net bookings have declined year-over-year, though they aligned with the company's projections. During a Q&A session with analysts, EA CEO Andrew Wilson candidly discussed the game's performance, stating that despite its massive player base of over 200 million, *Apex Legends* is not generating the revenue EA desires.

Wilson highlighted the game's significance, saying, “*Apex* is probably one of the great new launches in our industry over the last decade and has been loved by that core cohort... However, the trajectory of the business of that franchise has not been headed in the direction that we have wanted for some time.” He emphasized EA's ongoing efforts to support the community through quality-of-life improvements, anti-cheat measures, and new content, though he admitted that progress has been slower than hoped.

To address these financial challenges, EA is planning a significant update, dubbed *Apex Legends 2.0*. This update aims to revitalize the franchise, attract new players, and boost revenue. Wilson clarified that *Apex Legends 2.0* will not launch alongside the next *Battlefield* game, expected before April 2026, but rather sometime after, likely during EA's fiscal year ending March 2027.

Wilson expressed confidence in the long-term potential of *Apex Legends*, stating, “What I think we've demonstrated as a company is an ability to build franchises that last 10, 20, 30 years and growing. Our expectation is that *Apex* will also be one of those franchises.” He assured that the team is committed to supporting the core community of tens of millions of players and is working on a major update post-*Battlefield* launch, with plans for even more significant updates in the future.

The concept of *Apex Legends 2.0* draws parallels to Activision's approach with *Call of Duty: Warzone*, which saw a 2.0 version in 2022. While the success of such a move remains debated among *Warzone* fans, EA is keenly aware of the competitive landscape in the battle royale genre as it seeks to expand *Apex Legends'* player base.

Despite its challenges, *Apex Legends* continues to be a top-played game on Steam, based on concurrent player counts. However, it has yet to surpass its peak numbers on Valve's platform and is currently on a downward trajectory, potentially heading towards record lows.