Apex Legends Mobile has been an idea kicking around since the game launched. A mobile version of the title seemed like a natural fit, but it took a while for fans to hear anything definitive about it. That changed earlier this year, when we got news that the mobile version of the game was now being worked on. This week, we have a solid date for when players are going to get a look at the title.
Whenever a demanding game like Apex Legends comes to a mobile device, there is a lot of interest in how it handles. Not everything translates well to mobile. Things like Wild Rifthave done a great job in bringing LoL over. Until it was basically shut down over legal troubles, mobile Fortnite had an active scene and even managed to have its own Fortnite tournaments and Fortnite betting.
Starting in April, Apex Legends Mobile Beta will launch in some select regions and to some select players. Will Apex Legends be able to capture the same success in translating to mobile devices?
The Apex Legends Mobile beta is coming to the game later in April. As a small beta, this is going to be an initial test run in a small number of regions. Unlike early access periods for some games, this one is actually for testing things out. The beta is going to be pretty limited in scope, only taking on players from India and the Philippines. On top of that, the announcement about the update indicates it’ll be a small number of players in those regions too. So, this isn’t going to be a wide release just yet. We can expect to see a bigger beta by the summer however, if the initial announcement is much to go on.
We have received the “full details“about how the new game is going to play. While faithful to the original version of the game, this is definitely going to be a standalone product. It isn’t a straight port of the game, instead it is a new version built from the ground up for mobile. Which puts it more in line with Rocket League Sideswipe than Fortnite. The entire game is being built for touchscreens, rather than encouraging bluetooth controllers like some mobile titles.
https://twitter.com/PlayApexM/status/1384199459886624773?s=20
Controlling a full Battle Royale using just a screen is always a challenge. So it’ll be interesting to see what direction this title takes. As a completely independent title, it won’t have crossplay with PC or console versions of the game. It also won’t share progression, so it won’t be tied to that same Battle Pass tiers. This might be frustrating for some dedicated players, but a standalone title points to a higher quality mobile experience than a straight port.
Mobile games are going through a bit of a weird stage for esports at the moment. The release of Wild Rift has taken mobile esports international, but these types of games have been major competitive features in other regions for a long time. You only have to look at the success of PUBG mobile compared to PUBG, to see the potential here.
Will Apex Legends Mobile garner a big esports scene? It is definitely a possibility, especially in eastern markets where mobile is prevalent. Apex tournaments in the East have been rapidly growing in number, growing a bigger dedicated scene than anywhere else. Mobile esports are particularly popular in this region, so a polished Apex Legends Mobile Beta might be enough to spark some tournaments and professional games there.
Apex Legends mobile is likely quite a while away from a wider beta. However, with the first glimpse coming soon, it’ll be interesting to see what direction this game is taken in.
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