Despite having existed for little more than eight months, it has been confirmed that Apex Legends Mobile will be shut down. On the 1st of May, the game will cease operations, locking out all players and effectively eradicating the platform in full. Not only that but it was also revealed that Battlefield Mobile, which was going through soft launch phases, will be cancelled ahead of its full release.
Last year, Apex Legends Mobile was branded both the Google Play and App Store Game of the Year, but it wasn’t enough, according to EA. Now, dwindling player numbers and a lack of content delivery have left a hole in the platform that EA and Respawn Entertainment just cannot – or will not – repair.
Two Birds, One Stone
Image Credit: Electronic Arts
While neither game was ever marketed as the future of their respective franchise, this is a blow to the mobile gaming community. For both Apex Legends Mobile and Battlefield Mobile to be decommissioned at the same time, expectations and projections inside EA must have slipped by a considerable amount. In a statement, Respawn explained why it had taken the steps required to start closing down Apex Mobile:
‘At Respawn, we aim to provide players with games that are consistently outstanding. Following a strong start, the content pipeline for Apex Legends Mobile has begun to fall short of that bar for quality, quantity, and cadence. It is for this reason, after months of working with our development partner, that we have made the mutual decision to sunset our mobile game.’
It was further advised that players should go online and enjoy the remaining ninety days of Apex Mobile’s lifecycle as soon as possible. This came with a notification that any unspent in-game currency will also be deleted when the game is closed down, and refunds will not be issued.
Outside of Apex Mobile, the esports scene for the main game remains strong, with the ALGS Playoffs poised to take place in London this weekend. That concept was specifically touched upon by Respawn Entertainment, who explained that ‘… as a franchise, Apex Legends is strong and we’re looking forward to sharing exciting updates in the future.’
Goodbye, Battlefield Mobile
Unfortunately, the story behind Battlefield Mobile’s cancellation is a little more dramatic. Rather than simply scrapping the project, Electronic Arts has dropped the shutters on the entire studio developing the game, Industrial Toys. There were doubts that Battlefield Mobile could truly deliver on expectations.
Industrial Toys, the studio founded by former Bungie CEO Alex Seropian in 2012, failed to produce much content during the time that it was in service. In fact, Battlefield Mobile was the studio’s only project for Electronic Arts since the giant acquired the label in 2018.
So, it’s farewell to both Battlefield Mobile and Apex Legends Mobile – this day extracts a heavy toll.
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