Apex Legends is coming to your phone: Everything you need to know
EA is bringing one of its most popular shooters to mobile.
Apex Legends is one of Electronic Arts' most successful games, with more than 100 million unique players. EA announced that it'd be bringing the game to mobile audiences, and after rounds of testing, interested users in select countries can currently pre-register ahead of a planned soft release.
The game follows in the footsteps of other successful shooters that have made their way to mobile, such Fortnite, Call of Duty, and PUBG (all three of which made our list of best Android games). There's a massive audience for battle royale games on Android, and Apex Legends will fit right in when it launches.
Jump to:- What is Apex Mobile
- How is it different from other versions?
- What phones support Apex Mobile?
- When will the game launch?
- How much will Apex Mobile cost?
Apex Legends is a battle royale hero shooter in which you play as various characters, called Legends, participating in fights in a large arena. EA first revealed its intention to bring Apex to mobile two years ago, shortly after the game launched on PC and consoles. Then, in April 2021, EA announced it'd be opening regional betas of the game on mobile devices, specifically to users in India and the Philippines. Tests in Hong Kong, Mexico, Lebanon, Colombia and Peru followed, with Egypt and Turkey also opening for the Beta.
In Apex Legends, up to 60 players join a game together in two- or three-player squads. They land on a map that continuously gets smaller, taking out other squads in an effort to be the last players standing. In addition, the mobile version of the game fully supports touchscreen controls.
The big thing that separates Apex Legends from other battle royales are the characters, who each have different abilities and personalities. You can choose between the relatively tanky Gibraltar, who can put down a shield for the team, or the speedy Octane, who can drop jumpads across the map for anybody to use. Currently, there are 18 characters to choose from. It's unclear if all of them will be available on mobile, but if the Switch port is any indication, a few will be unlocked for new players, while others will require in-game currency to unlock.
How is Apex Legends Mobile different from other versions?The mobile version won't have all the content available in the PC and console versions, at least not at launch. The FAQ says, "To start, only the World's Edge map and some of the original Legends from the game will be playable." While it is uncertain which maps will be added later, some will be exclusive to the mobile version of the game. Legends such as Bloodhound, Caustic, Lifeline, Gibraltar, and Wraith have also been cited as playable.
Gameplay leaks from the closed beta have revealed a major change, with gameplay shifting from first to third person, with a first person perspective coming into play when aiming down sights. Another difference is the development of the game, with EA partnering with Chinese company Tencent. Having already worked on the likes of COD:Mobile and PUBG:Mobile, the gaming giant is well placed to bring Apex Legends to mobile devices.
What phones will support Apex Legends Mobile?The Apex Mobile FAQ on the game's website says the game is currently compatible with all devices capable of running Android 6.0. The game is only available on Android devices; iOS support is on the future roadmap.. EA also adds that it will support more phones in the future.
While it has touchscreen controls, it will presumably be compatible with mobile gaming controllers. However according to EA, Apex Mobile will not have crossplay with PC and console as it's built to work for phones and contains differences to the mainline versions of the game.
When will Apex Legend Mobile launch?
At the moment, there is no launch date for Apex Legends on mobile devices. However, a soft launch is imminent, with Respawn announcing plans to roll out in the following select countries:
- Argentina
- Columbia
- Mexico
- Peru
- Indonesia
- Malaysia
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Australia
- New Zealand
If you wish to pre-register and you are based in one of the above countries, you can do so from the game's page on the Google Play store.
The soft launch may gradually expand to even more players and regions. The announcement of a staggered release indicates that the full release may be very soon though, and is likely to be this year.
How much will Apex Legends Mobile cost?EA has confirmed that Apex Mobile will be free-to-play, and EA says it will not offer any gameplay boosters for money. It will, however, have cosmetics and battle passes available for purchase separate from those available for the PC and console versions of the game.
Apex Legends Mobile
Pre-register at the Google Play Store
The hit PC and console battle royale game is coming to mobile. While it's not available to play for everyone yet, players in select countries can pre-register for the upcoming soft launch.