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 the game boasts over 200 million players, EA CEO Andrew Wilson stated that its revenue trajectory hasn't met expectations. He emphasized the ongoing commitment to the tens of millions of active players through quality-of-life improvements, anti-cheat measures, and new content. However, he admitted that progress hasn't been as significant as hoped.
To address this, EA is developing "Apex Legends 2.0," a substantial update aimed at revitalizing the franchise, attracting new players, and boosting revenue. The rollout is strategically planned for after the release of the next Battlefield title, likely sometime in EA's 2027 fiscal year. Wilson clarified that this isn't the game's final iteration, emphasizing EA's long-term vision for Apex Legends as a lasting franchise.
The Apex Legends 2.0 strategy bears resemblance to Activision's Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 reboot. While the success of that approach remains debated, EA is undoubtedly aware of the competitive battle royale landscape and will learn from previous successes and failures.
Despite its current challenges, Apex Legends maintains a strong position on Steam's concurrent player count charts, although it's significantly below its peak and trending towards record lows. This underscores the need for EA's ambitious 2.0 update to reignite player engagement and financial success.
