If you were one of the 15 million+ players who logged hours grinding ranked matches, unlocking legendary Wraith skins, and pulling off clutch 1v3 wins in the original Apex Legends Mobile before its 2023 shutdown, you’ve definitely typed is apex legends coming back to mobile into Google at least once in the last year. The original launch was wildly hyped, with fans thrilled to take the fast-paced, ability-focused battle royale on the go, but the game was pulled from app stores just nine months after release. Players were left frustrated, with hundreds of dollars spent on in-game purchases gone and no official word on if the title would ever return. This guide breaks down all official comments, verified leaks, and realistic expectations for a potential mobile relaunch of Apex Legends.
Is Apex Legends Coming Back to Mobile? Official Updates & Developer Comments
Right now, there is no definitive, 100% confirmed announcement that Apex Legends is returning to mobile, but there are dozens of strong signals that a relaunch is in active development. The first big hint dropped in mid-2023, when Respawn Entertainment posted a public job listing for a Lead Product Manager focused exclusively on Apex Legends mobile experiences. Respawn has repeatedly stated that the mobile market is a core long-term priority for the Apex Legends franchise, even after the original mobile version shut down.
EA’s latest earnings reports also support the idea of a mobile relaunch, as the company noted that mobile gaming revenue made up 32% of its total gaming revenue in the last fiscal year. The success of titles like FIFA Mobile and Star Wars: Hunter showed EA that there is massive demand for its core IPs on mobile devices, so abandoning the Apex mobile audience entirely makes very little financial sense. No official release date has been confirmed as of today, but industry analysts who cover EA predict we could see an official announcement sometime in the next 12 months.
Respawn CEO Vince Zampella also touched on the mobile project in a recent interview, saying that the team learned a lot of hard lessons from the original launch, and that any future mobile version of Apex will be built to meet the high standards players expect from the franchise. He did not share specific timelines, but did note that the team is “committed to getting it right” before making any public announcements.
Why Did Apex Legends Mobile Shut Down in the First Place?
To understand what a potential relaunch will look like, it’s important to understand why the original version failed so quickly. The first Apex Legends Mobile was co-developed with Tencent’s LightSpeed & Quantum studio, the same team behind PUBG Mobile. The core issue behind the shutdown was misalignment between Respawn, EA, and Tencent around long-term content goals and IP control. Respawn wanted the mobile version to stay as close as possible to the PC and console experience, while Tencent pushed for mobile-exclusive changes that the team felt compromised the core identity of Apex.
Players also regularly complained about major gaps between the mobile version and the main game. New legends that dropped on PC and console took months to arrive on mobile, popular limited-time modes like Control never made it to the mobile release, and there was no support for cross-progression at all. Cross-progression support was one of the most requested features that never made it to the original release, as players hated that they had to start from scratch on mobile even if they had a maxed-out account on PC.
The original version also had major performance issues on mid-tier and budget devices, which make up more than 60% of the global mobile gaming market. Many players reported constant lag, overheating, and frequent crashes even when they turned all graphics settings down to the lowest option. EA’s official statement about the shutdown noted that the game “did not meet our expectations for ongoing content and quality” which lines up with the feedback players shared during its short run.
Rumored Features for a Potential Apex Legends Mobile Relaunch
Leakers with a proven track record of accurate Apex Legends news have shared a lot of details about the in-development mobile version over the last year. Unlike the original release, the new version is being developed entirely in-house by Respawn’s own mobile team, which means the studio has full control over content updates, feature rollouts, and game balance. The most commonly rumored features for the relaunch include:
- Full cross-progression with PC and console accounts, so you don’t lose your skins, rank, or in-game currency when switching between devices
- Shared content updates with the main Apex Legends version, so new legends, maps, and game modes drop at the same time across all platforms
- Optimized performance for mid-tier and budget Android and iOS devices, with multiple graphics settings to eliminate lag and overheating on older phones
- Separate ranked queues for mobile-only players to avoid unfair matches against controller or mouse and keyboard users from other platforms
- Built-in anti-cheat tools designed specifically for mobile environments to cut down on hackers and smurf accounts that plagued the original release
Early test builds leaked in late 2023 showed significantly improved touch controls compared to the original release, with customizable button layouts, adjustable sensitivity for movement and aiming, and support for Bluetooth controllers for players who prefer that input method. The leaked builds also included all currently released legends up to Season 19 of the main game, which is a big change from the original mobile version that launched with only 10 legends.
Developers have hinted that mobile-exclusive limited-time events may be part of the relaunch plan to give mobile players unique content that doesn’t appear on PC or console. These events would likely include exclusive skins, game modes, and challenges designed specifically for touch controls and shorter play sessions common on mobile devices.
What You Can Do Right Now If You Want Apex Legends Back on Mobile
While we wait for an official announcement, there are a few practical steps you can take to stay informed and avoid common scams that target players hoping for a mobile return. First and foremost, never download APK files from untrusted sources claiming to be a new version of Apex Legends Mobile. These files are almost always malware designed to steal your personal information or hack your existing gaming accounts. Legitimate beta versions will only be available through official app stores or EA’s own beta testing platforms.
If you want to show Respawn and EA that there is demand for a mobile relaunch, you can submit feedback directly through EA’s official Apex Legends feedback portal. The team actively tracks player requests, and a high volume of feedback asking for a mobile return will help make the project a higher priority for the company. You can also follow official Respawn and Apex Legends social media accounts for legitimate updates, rather than relying on random leak accounts that often share fake information to get clicks.
If you’re craving an Apex-like experience on your phone right now, there are a few solid alternatives you can try. Other mobile battle royales offer fast-paced gameplay and unique character abilities, though none of them match the exact movement and gunplay feel of Apex Legends. Just remember that any third-party “Apex Mobile” clone you see on app stores is not affiliated with Respawn or EA, and will likely be taken down once the official version is announced.
At the end of the day, all signs point to the fact that the question is apex legends coming back to mobile will get a positive answer sooner rather than later. Respawn is clearly investing time and resources into building a better mobile version that fixes all the mistakes of the original release, and EA has every financial reason to bring one of its biggest franchises back to the massive mobile gaming market. Just be patient, avoid scams, and keep an eye on official channels for the first official announcement whenever it drops.