EA Plans Apex Legends 2.0 After Battlefield, Amid Declining Sales

As Respawn’s battle royale, Apex Legends, approaches its sixth anniversary, Electronic Arts (EA) has expressed concerns over its financial performance. In a recent financial call discussing third-quarter results, EA reported that Apex Legends' net bookings had declined year-over-year, yet the performance aligned with the company's expectations. During a Q&A session with analysts, EA CEO Andrew Wilson candidly discussed the game's situation, emphasizing that despite its massive player base of over 200 million, Apex Legends is not generating the desired revenue for the company.

Wilson highlighted the game's success and the dedication of its core community, stating, "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, he acknowledged that the business trajectory of the franchise has not met expectations. EA has been experimenting with various strategies to support and engage the community, focusing on quality-of-life improvements, anti-cheat measures, and new content. Despite these efforts, Wilson admitted that the progress has been less than satisfactory.

In response to the financial challenges, EA is planning a significant update to the game, dubbed Apex Legends 2.0. This update is intended to revitalize the franchise, attract new players, and boost revenue. Wilson clarified that Apex Legends 2.0 will not be released concurrently with the next Battlefield game, expected before April 2026. Instead, the update is slated for sometime during EA’s fiscal year ending March 2027.

Wilson emphasized the long-term vision for Apex Legends, saying, "These franchises that exist at this level and have this much fan love don't come along all that often." He expressed confidence in EA's ability to sustain and grow franchises over decades, suggesting that Apex Legends will continue to evolve beyond the upcoming 2.0 update. The company remains committed to supporting the game's core community, which numbers in the tens of millions, while also seeking to expand its player base.

Apex Legends 2.0 draws comparisons to Activision's approach with Call of Duty's Warzone, which underwent a significant update to Warzone 2.0 in 2022. While the success of such reboots varies, EA is likely to consider the experiences of other battle royale titles as it works to enhance Apex Legends. Despite its strong concurrent player count on Steam, Apex Legends is currently experiencing a decline from its peak, indicating the need for strategic interventions to reverse this trend.