According to a recent announcement from Respawn Entertainment,Apex Legendswill be receiving fresh content for years to come with a decade-spanning plan baring a strong resemblance to the live-service model Bungie adopted with theDestinyfranchise. Already fortified with consistent content updates,Apex Legendsis showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Since its surprise release in 2019,Apex Legendshas been a fan-favorite among battle royale games, with Respawn Entertainment’s signature fast-paced gunplay finallygarnering the mass acclaim thatTitanfallfanshave been beating the drum for since 2014. Its hero-shooter approach to the genre has been a fresh turn for the age-old formula, adding a layer of depth and strategy to each match, as well as creating a boundless foundation to build on. Respawn has done well so far in its pace of delivering fresh content, with new Legends, weapons, maps, modes, and of course, cosmetics, dropping qucikly enough to keep players in its ecosystem since launch.
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The Future of Apex Legends
In March 2023, Respawn reaffirmed its intended commitment toApex Legends,announcing the opening of a new studio with the sole purpose of supportingthe future ofApex Legends. “We believe inApexas a franchise that is going to be around for 10, 15 years or more, and we are excited to make that happen,” CEO of Respawn Vince Zampella was quoted as saying regarding the studio’s plans. How the new studio will affectApex Legend’squantity and quality of additions has faced scrutiny, with some pessimistic about the game’s upkeep being delegated to an untested team. Other fans are simply celebrating the long-term commitment, noting examples set by games that have accomplished similar live-service models.
In 2013, Bungie made a similar promise about its flagship franchise, laying out a 10-year plan for consistent support inbuilding out the world ofDestiny, keeping players strung along in a way only MMORPGs had done previously. There were ebbs and flows throughout the years ofDestinyandDestiny 2, with several low points marking its storied timeline, but the plan has ultimately been a success, hitting a record 300,000 concurrent players on Steam with the release of Lightfall, its most recent expansion. Bungie mastered the blueprint for keeping live-service games relevant through multiple console generations, and will surely be emulated by other studios looking to prevent their own games from stagnating.
What Respawn Can Learn From Bungie
LikeDestiny, Apex Legendshas already gone through some peaks and valleys with its content updates. Player counts rise and fall to the release schedule of other battle royale shooters and to a lack of meaningful new content being released.Destiny 2has gone through a similar tumult with the Curse of Osiris and Beyond Light expansions, which fans felt did not provide enough engaging content to keep playing for its lifecycles.With Respawn’s new studio working solely onApex Legends, it is expected and accepted that there will be some growing pains, perhaps a few updates that will miss the mark. Just likeDestiny, those droughts of content or content that lacks quality will pass, and feedback will direct the next batch to be more in-line with fan expectations.
That is part of the charm of live-service games, especially those that have a studio dedicated to them. While it is true thatbothApex LegendsandDestiny 2play off of a fear of missing out in its players, there is no serious detriment to dropping either game for an extended amount of time. Coming back to a live-service title after a hiatus can be great fun, often getting the benefit of multiple content updates making the game feel like a fully-fledged sequel.Apex Legendsis currently in a good place, and Respawn’s commitment to the game bodes well for its future.
Apex Legendsis currently available for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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