Apex Legends Isn’t Doing the Business for EA, So It’s Making Apex Legends 2.0 to Come Out After Battlefield

EA's Apex Legends: A Sixth Birthday and Plans for 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, its revenue isn't meeting EA's expectations. CEO Andrew Wilson confirmed this during a recent financial call, stating that net bookings were down year-over-year, although in line with projections.

Wilson highlighted the game's continued community support, focusing on improving quality of life, anti-cheat measures, and consistent content updates. While progress has been made, it hasn't been sufficient to meet EA's financial goals.

The solution? Apex Legends 2.0. This significant update aims to revitalize the franchise, attract new players, and ultimately boost revenue. However, its release is strategically planned to avoid overlapping with the launch of the next Battlefield title, anticipated before April 2026. Therefore, Apex Legends 2.0 is likely slated for EA's 2027 fiscal year (ending March 2027).

Wilson emphasized EA's long-term commitment to the franchise, envisioning Apex Legends as a lasting title akin to other successful EA franchises spanning decades. He reiterated the ongoing investment in the existing tens of millions of players, alongside plans for a major update post-Battlefield launch, followed by further expansion and community engagement.

This "2.0" approach mirrors Activision's strategy with Call of Duty: Warzone, although the success of that reboot remains debatable. EA will undoubtedly learn from the experiences of its competitors in the competitive battle royale landscape.

Despite its current trajectory, Apex Legends maintains a strong position among top-played games on Steam, though its concurrent player count is significantly below its peak. The challenge for EA is to reverse this trend and reignite the game's popularity and profitability.