Apex Legends mobile will be going into its first regional beta test later this month. The beta will be available to select players in India and the Philippines only for Android users. Other regions and players around the world will get access to the Apex Legends mobile beta in the coming months. The game is reportedly being developed by Tencent and it remains to be seen if Apex Legends Mobile will be available to the Indian audience at launch due to the Indian government’s stance against Chinese apps including PUBG Mobile.
Apex Legends is a battle royale game that has been developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts (EA). The title was released for PC and Consoles in February 2019 and for the Nintendo Switch on 9 March 2021. The expected release date of the global launch of Apex Legends Mobile will be around the time of March 2022.
EA has officially revealed Apex Legends Mobile alongside announcing that it will be kicking off the first regional beta tests later this month. Apex Legends game director Chad Grenier shared the news in a blog, confirming that Apex Legends Mobile is a new version of the game that is “specially designed for touchscreens, with streamlined controls and thoughtful optimizations that result in the most advanced battle royale combat available on a phone.”
Apex Legends Mobile Regional Betas:
Apex Legends Mobile’s first regional beta tests are kicking off later this month. While two years ago the EA Team changed the landscape of the battle royale genre, the team reports aiming to do it again on mobile. “Apex Legends Mobile is specially designed for touchscreens, with streamlined controls and thoughtful optimizations that result in the most advanced battle royale combat available on a phone. It’s a new version of Apex Legends, but it’s true to the original,” says Chad Grenier, Game Director on Apex Legends.
The regional beta tests will begin with “a few thousand players in India and the Philippines,” and the team will be rolling it out to many more players throughout the year. The beta will begin on Android phones only, but iOS support is planned. Once the tests are “ready to go broader,” EA will launch a page that allows players to pre-register for the game and sign up for further updates.
Since Apex Legends Mobile is being designed as a new game, it will not feature cross-play with other versions of the game, but it will be free-to-play. Apex Legends Mobile will feature separate Battle Passes, collectible cosmetics, and unlockables unique from other versions of those found on PC and console versions of Apex Legends.
The game will feature the same gameplay elements as its PC and console counterparts. The game features duos and trios gameplay with a ranked system and limited-time events that change up the casual modes to offer some gameplay variety. Apex was one of the first games to introduce a respawn system that allows players to bring teammates back into the game by picking up their “banners” from death boxes.
Respawn will be steadily rolling out Apex Legends Mobile around the world in a series of tests. To start with, the studio will do a series of smaller closed beta tests in India and the Philippines later this month. The first betas will only be available on Android devices. iOS betas will be available later and once the game is ready to go live in more regions, a pre-register page will be available on the official website allowing players to sign up for news and beta access for the upcoming game.
The ping communication system is also among the best and it makes conveying information to teammates effective even if gamers are not using voice or text chat. Chad Grenier, the game director at Apex Legends, said that this was a huge moment for his team to emulate the success they have recorded on PC. He further added that Apex Legends Mobile will be slowly rolled out all around the world in a series of tests and since Apex Legends Mobile is specifically being built on mobile, it won’t feature cross-play with the console or PC versions of Apex Legends. The game will also be free-to-play and won’t include paid items that give you a gameplay advantage.
Similar to the PC and console counterparts, Apex Legends Mobile is free-to-play and “never includes paid items that grant a gameplay advantage”. EA CEO Andrew Wilson previously discussed at an EA Fireside Chat that Apex Legends Mobile was being planned for a soft launch in 2020, and while it’s a bit delayed, Apex Legends fans will soon have a new way to play the battle royale.
EA also confirmed that Apex Legends Mobile’s development is lead by a dedicated team at Respawn in collaboration with “the established Apex Legends team and other partners.” It would be interesting to see the response the game’s beta version gets in India and the Philippines. With India being a huge market for mobile gaming, the reaction of the battle royale fans towards Apex Legends will be intriguing to witness. The title’s optimization and accessibility on low-end mobile devices will also be a determining factor for its success.
Let’s cross our fingers and hope for the best to come out nd find out whether this births another successful battle royale mobile gaming yet again!
Also Read: Apex Legends Private Match Lobbies to be added in 2021: Latest updates by developers
