EA Plans Apex Legends 2.0 After Battlefield, Amid Declining Sales

As *Apex Legends*, Respawn's acclaimed battle royale, approaches its sixth anniversary, EA has acknowledged that the game is not meeting its financial expectations. During a recent financial call discussing third-quarter results, EA disclosed that *Apex Legends* net bookings had declined year-over-year, although they aligned with the company's projections. In a candid Q&A session with analysts, EA CEO Andrew Wilson expressed that despite the game's vast player base of over 200 million, *Apex Legends* is not generating sufficient revenue for EA.

Wilson highlighted *Apex Legends*'s significant launch and the dedicated community that continues to engage with the game daily. He outlined three core areas of focus for the game's development: enhancing the player experience through quality-of-life improvements and anti-cheat measures, creating new content, and expanding the game's reach. Despite efforts to innovate and improve, Wilson admitted that progress has been slower than desired.

To address the financial downturn, EA is planning a major update dubbed *Apex Legends 2.0*. This update aims to revitalize the franchise, attract new players, and boost revenue. However, Wilson emphasized that the release of *Apex Legends 2.0* will be strategically timed to avoid clashing with the next *Battlefield* game, expected before April 2026. Consequently, *Apex Legends 2.0* is slated for release sometime during EA's fiscal year ending March 2027.

Wilson expressed confidence in *Apex Legends*'s long-term potential, likening it to other enduring EA franchises. He assured that the development team is committed to supporting the existing community of tens of millions of players while also planning for future expansions that could further enhance the game's appeal and longevity.

The concept of *Apex Legends 2.0* draws parallels to Activision's approach with *Call of Duty: Warzone*, which underwent a significant update to *Warzone 2.0* in 2022. While the success of such a move remains debated among fans, EA is keen to learn from the experiences of competitors in the battle royale genre as it seeks to expand *Apex Legends*'s player base.

Currently, *Apex Legends* remains a top-played game on Steam, based on concurrent player counts. However, it has not yet regained its peak popularity on Valve's platform and is trending towards new lows, underscoring the urgency of EA's plans to rejuvenate the game.