Apex Legends Mobile and Battlefield Mobile have been shut down by EA in a move that represents a significant shift in the company's mobile strategy. The game has been named the Apple Game of the Year 2022 award, and it has recently closed the Industrial Toys studio.
According to an official statement, Apex Legends Mobile's content pipeline has begun to fall short of expectations for quality, quantity, and caliber. Despite the effort Respawn put into the game and the recent launch, a total closure is still a shocking move. Furthermore, EA will not refund players on in-app purchases as per the EA User Agreement.
EA CEO Andrew Wilson provides further information in the company's Q3 earnings call, stating that "the ongoing experience was not going to meet the expectations of our players." However, Wilson implies that either title might be made a part of the console infrastructure in a similar way to Fortnite. "We've learned a lot," says the company.
Apex Legends Mobile is being developed by Respawn, in collaboration with Tencent's Lightspeed Studios. Respawn may want to complete future Apex Legends Mobile versions entirely in-house, in order to recreate the popular console version.
The decision to close Battlefield Mobile is less surprising, although it comes amid reports that its development studio Industrial Toys has been shuttered. The number of employees laid off is currently unknown. Clearly, Electronic Arts continues to struggle to establish itself in the mobile industry, especially as competing with Krafton's PUBG Mobile and Activision's Call of Duty.
The most recent trailer for Apex Legends Mobile is available below.
For the time being, that's all there is to it! Apex Legend Mobile and Battlefield Mobile are sad to see the end, so be sure to check out our guide to the best mobile shooters next.