Apex Legends has remained one of the most resilient live-service games on the market, but Respawn’s development team knows that sustaining a game of this nature isn’t easy. With new content and updates being a necessity, the game has now hit its five-year mark and is currently in its 23rd season.
But in an age of sequels, Respawn and EA have chosen different for Apex. For game director Steve Ferreira, creating an Apex Legends 2 has always been less of a goal and more of an “anti-vision.” Both Respawn and EA seem set on focusing on innovative, incremental updates rather than a full reboot.
EA and Respawn Have A Different Approach to Apex Legends‘ Future
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Apex Legends has a diverse roster of Legends. | Credit: Respawn Entertainment
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Apex Legends fans are not happy with developer working on a new game.
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Apex Legends are losing heirlooms and badges with the ongoing update issue.
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Rather than build a sequel, Respawn’s team is actively working to maintain Apex Legends’ longevity by focusing on quality over quantity. As Ferreira noted in a recent interview with GameSpot, a sequel would not only halt the game’s development but also alienate dedicated players who’ve invested years into the live game.
In our minds, Apex is going to continue on for definitely as long as any of us are going to work on it, and then the next people, and next people.
His vision is to ensure that Apex Legends remains relevant through careful updates that enhance the existing structure rather than overwhelm it with unnecessary content. The aim is to preserve the game’s identity and longevity.
We think of it as a never-ending thing, but in order to get there, I think we do have to at least obviously believe in our approach, which is making sure that we are making the changes to the game when they’re ready and when we need those things to land as opposed to just hitting a formula of content that players expect.
The idea of creating sequels for live-service games like Destiny 2 and Overwatch 2 has become common in the industry, but Respawn is choosing a different route for Apex Legends.
EA’s CEO Andrew Wilson echoed this sentiment in a recent earnings call, noting that sequels often fail to replicate the original’s success. Wilson pointed out that live-service sequels often struggle to match the success of their predecessors.
Both The Players and Devs Will Have To Buckle Up For What’s Coming
While Apex Legends has enjoyed success, it hasn’t been without challenges. Earlier this year, the game’s revised battle pass structure was met with sharp criticism from the whole community from casuals, pros, and content creators.
Looking forward, Wilson hinted at a different and more innovative approach in the coming days for the game. EA plans to revisit the monetization model and make the changes that it wants to make.
To drive significant growth and re-engagement, large systematic change is required. We will continue to focus on retention and breadth of content in service of our global community as we work toward more significant, innovative changes in the future.
The path Respawn and EA have chosen for Apex Legends is different than how other popular live-service games like Overwatch and Destiny did it. By opting out of a sequel, Respawn hopes to avoid the problems that come with migrating a large player base to a new game.
Apex Legends is a pivotal title for EA, and while recent changes have yet to fully meet expectations, the devs are committed to the game’s future with its existing player base and community.
What do you think about the future of Apex? Let us know in the comments!
