If you’ve ever jumped into a fast-paced mobile battle royale match with your favorite Apex Legends characters, you’ve probably found yourself asking is apex legends mobile still available at some point in the last year. I remember loading up the game every evening after work to queue with friends, so I was just as confused as everyone else when I couldn’t find it on the app store out of nowhere. A lot of conflicting info floats around online about whether you can still play, if there are private servers, or if a new version is coming out soon, so we’re breaking down all the verified facts so you don’t waste time chasing fake downloads. I’ve spent dozens of hours testing different workarounds and following official announcements, so all the info here is up to date and free of the unconfirmed rumors you’ll find on random social media threads.
Is Apex Legends Mobile Still Available for Official Download?
The short answer to this question is no, the original global version of Apex Legends Mobile is no longer available for official download or play. Respawn and Electronic Arts first announced the shutdown in early 2023, and all official servers were taken offline permanently on May 1, 2023. You will not find an official, legal copy of the original Apex Legends Mobile available for download on any first-party app store as of now. Any listing you see claiming to be the official game is either a fake, a scam, or a modified file that can put your device and personal data at risk.
Even if you had the game downloaded to your device before the shutdown, you can’t log in to official servers anymore, because Respawn took all server infrastructure offline permanently. I tried launching my old downloaded copy last month just to test it, and it got stuck on the loading screen before throwing a server connection error, so don’t waste your storage keeping the old file if you haven’t touched it since shutdown. You also won’t find working copies on third-party app stores, because the client can’t connect to any active official servers even if you install the old APK file.
Many players who loved the original game still wonder if Apex Legends Mobile is still available because they missed the official shutdown announcement when it went live. Respawn gave players three months of notice before the shutdown, and even offered refunds for any in-game purchases made in the 90 days before the closure was announced, but a lot of casual players only found out when the game stopped working for them.
Why Did Respawn Shut Down Apex Legends Mobile in the First Place?
A lot of fans assume the game shut down because it didn’t have enough players, but that’s not actually the case. The game hit 10 million downloads in its first week of release, and had a dedicated active player base right up until the shutdown announcement. The official statement from Respawn said the shutdown was due to mismatched content updates and quality standards between the mobile version and the main console/PC Apex Legends title.
The mobile version was built on a separate engine by a third-party development team, so it was hard for Respawn to roll out the same events, characters, and balance patches that were launching on the main game. Over time, the mobile version started to feel like a completely separate game, which confused casual players who switched between platforms. There were also ongoing issues with cheaters on mobile servers that the team couldn’t keep up with, which made ranked matches feel unfair for most casual players.
Respawn also noted that the team wanted to focus their resources on improving the main Apex Legends experience and developing new projects, instead of splitting their time between two very different versions of the same game. A lot of players were angry about the decision, but the team has stood by it in all their public statements since the shutdown.
Valid Workarounds for Apex Legends Mobile Fans Who Want Similar Experiences
If you’re craving that fast-paced, ability-focused battle royale experience you got from Apex Legends Mobile, you don’t have to give up on mobile gaming entirely. There are several safe, legal options you can try right now that give off the same vibe, without the risk of downloading scam files. I’ve tested all of these options personally, and they all work well for players who want that classic Apex feel on their phone.
- Apex Legends on GeForce Now or Xbox Cloud Gaming: If you have a stable internet connection, you can stream the full PC/console version of Apex Legends to your mobile device via cloud gaming services. You get all the latest characters, maps, and events, and you can even cross-play with friends on PC or console. You also keep all your existing skins and progress if you already have an Apex account on another platform.
- High Energy Heroes: This is the official Chinese mobile battle royale developed by Respawn and Tencent, built on the same core mechanics as Apex Legends Mobile. It gets regular content updates, has hundreds of thousands of active players every day, and even has some exclusive characters and events that weren’t in the original global mobile release. You will need to set up a compatible account to play if you’re outside of China, but there are plenty of trusted guides online to walk you through the process.
- Other mobile battle royale alternatives: Games like Farlight 84 and Call of Duty Mobile’s battle royale mode have similar fast-paced gameplay, character abilities, and small map designs that feel very close to what Apex Legends Mobile offered. Both games have large active player bases, regular updates, and ranked modes for players who want competitive play.
The cloud streaming option is my personal favorite if you already have an Apex account on PC or console. You don’t have to learn new character balances or start over from scratch, and the controls work surprisingly well on touch screens if you take 10 minutes to customize your layout. Just make sure you’re connected to a 5G or strong Wi-Fi network if you go the cloud route, because lag can ruin a match really fast. Never enter your credit card or personal account information on any unvetted site that claims to let you download a working version of the original Apex Legends Mobile, because all of these sites are scams designed to steal your data.
Is There Any Chance Apex Legends Mobile Will Come Back Officially?
This is the question I see asked most often in fan groups and on Reddit threads, and for good reason—there’s a lot of unconfirmed rumors floating around about a potential re-release. As of the latest official statements from Respawn, there are no public plans to re-launch the original Apex Legends Mobile globally. That said, the massive success of High Energy Heroes in China has led to lots of speculation that Respawn might be working on a new, unified mobile version of Apex that shares the same engine as the main game.
If a new mobile version does get made, it will likely sync up with the main game’s content schedule, so players don’t have to deal with mismatched characters or events. That said, we likely won’t hear any official announcements for at least another year, since the team is currently focused on launching new content for the main Apex game and their upcoming single-player titles set in the Apex universe.
You should be extremely wary of any social media accounts or websites claiming to have pre-registration links for a new Apex Legends Mobile release, because all of these are scams designed to steal your personal information or get you to download malware. The only place you’ll find official announcements about any future Apex mobile projects is on Respawn’s official Twitter or Instagram accounts, so make sure you only trust info coming directly from the team.
At the end of the day, it’s normal to feel disappointed if you were a big fan of the original game, and we get why you’d be asking is apex legends mobile still available right now. While the official version is gone for the foreseeable future, there are still plenty of great ways to get that same battle royale thrill on your mobile device without risking your data or falling for scams. If you do decide to try any third-party files or alternative versions, make sure you only download from trusted sources, and never enter your personal EA account information on any site that isn’t officially run by Electronic Arts. Keep an eye on official Respawn social media accounts if you want to stay up to date on any future announcements about mobile Apex projects, because we’ll likely hear about any plans there first.