In a recent interview with the developers of Apex Legends, Respawn Entertainment, key figures discussed the game’s current state and shared insights into the future of this popular battle royale. Josh Mohan (lead battle royale designer), Devan McGuire (lead Legends designer), and Mike Renner (game design director – maps) provided details on the upcoming changes and the long-term vision for Apex Legends.
During the interview with VGC, several key insights into Apex Legends’ direction were revealed, suggesting a significant evolution over the next five years. The Breakout update introduces streamlined systems aimed at reducing complexity for new players. Crafting materials are eliminated and replaced by a simpler system where players directly grab items from crafting stations.
The EVO armor system is revamped to reward diverse behaviors beyond just dealing damage, offering points for reviving teammates, interacting with EVO Harvesters, and more. This aims to make the game more approachable for newcomers while still catering to established players.
Regarding the battle royale genre as a whole, Respawn says their focus remains on Apex Legends’ own growth and evolution. Looking ahead, Respawn outlined its vision for the next five years. They envision Apex Legends becoming “a place for everybody,” balancing its core competitive nature with broader appeal. This includes making the game more approachable for new players while maintaining its strong competitive scene.
“It’s just going to keep growing in my mind. It’s going to keep evolving. The Apex today won’t be the same as the Apex in five years. We’ll look at ourselves, and we’ll look at competitors and how they’ve solved issues, and keep building on the genre as a whole.”
Mike Renner
The Thunderdome map is designed to resemble a sports arena and is perfect for smaller modes. It’s got a focus on close-quarters combat and special audio-visual effects. Balancing the legends is an ongoing challenge, especially with the various permutations introduced by the new upgrade system.
The developers have received feedback from professional players during internal testing and emphasized their ongoing efforts to fine-tune the game’s balance while ensuring no Legend becomes too dominant.
The interview goes into more detail, but the overall point is that Respawn is actively trying to change the game. This is a big part of growing anywhere, either change or look stale. While the changes may not seem big with each update, they’ll seem huge over five years.
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