Who made Apex Legends and when was it released?

Wondering who made Apex Legends? The battle royale title has been going strong for years now, enduring in popularity through regular updates and events. Chances are that if you’re reading this, then you enjoy playing it yourself. But who’s responsible for creating it, and when was Apex Legends released?

We’re going to explain who made Apex Legends here, as well as when the game was released, and where development on it currently stands. If you’re looking to learn more about the game, why not check out our breakdown of all the Apex Legends voice actors to see who you recognise, or have a look at the current Apex Legends codes you can redeem for some in-game goodies? If you’re feeling generous, you could even look at how to send gifts to your friends in-game.

Who created Apex Legends?

Apex Legends was developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts (EA). More than 850 people have been credited with working on the game to turn it into what it is today. We’re not going to list them all, but here’s a quick list of a few key figures who have helped to shape the game and steer development.

• Game Director: Steven Ferreira
• Executive Producer: Ben Brinkman
• Studio Director: Ryan Burnett
• Design Director: Evan Nikolich
• Character Art Director: Gary Huang
• Animation Director: Moy Parra
• Senior Audio Director: Erik Kraber
• Narrative Director: Amanda Doiron
• Creative Director: Manny Hagopian
• QA Directors: Alex Lucas, Chris Burrell, Chris Wright, Eddy DiLuccio
• Head of Operations for Apex: Henry Lee

When was Apex Legends released?

Apex Legends first released on PS4, PC, and Xbox One on February 4, 2019. It was later released on Nintendo Switch on March 9, 2021, and on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on March 29, 2022. All releases were published by EA, who bought Respawn Entertainment back in 2017.

Although we don’t have a full timeline, we know that initial concept work on the game had already begun by the time Titanfall 2, the studio’s previous project, was released. The game also release a mobile version called Apex Legends Mobile, which launched on May 17 2022, but shut down on May 1, 2023.

On its release date, Apex Launched with its mainstay Battle Royale game mode and one map, King’s Canyon largely aiming to combine hero shooter elements into the BR formula to compete with other heavyweight successes of the genre like Fortnite to draw in a wider crowd of fans. Heroes like Pathfinder, Lifeline, and Bangalore launched with the game, offering a decent variety of playstyles off the bat. Over time, the roster of Legends, weapons, maps and a thriving esports scene slowly expanded, gaining particular traction once Apex’s seasonal model got underway.

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Did you know?

Canonically, Apex Legends and Titanfall take place in the same universe. We even saw a Monarch Titan fairly recently in the backstory cinematic for Conduit.

Is Apex Legends still under development?

Yes, Apex Legends continues to see active development to this day. Though we don’t know the exact numbers of people working on it at the moment, it’s popularity and structure as a live-service game mean that Apex still receives plenty of fresh content, rebalances, and updates on a regular basis. This includes limited time events which have exclusive cosmetic rewards, like the Uprising event skins from Revenant Uprising. It also includes new seasons, like the current Season 19 ignite, or the upcoming Season 20. These seasons can contain anything from reworked content to brand new Legends, like Catalyst, Ballistic, or most recently, Conduit.

That hopefully answers all your burning questions about who made Apex Legends, as well as when the game was released. If you’re planning to jump back in now that you’ve learnt a little something, why not check out our picks for the best guns and best Legends in Apex to help you sharpen your odds of winning?

Apex Legends development FAQ

Did Apex Legends release on PC and console at the same time?

Yes, Apex released on last-gen consoles and PC on the same day. It released on current-gen consoles a little over three years later.

How old is Apex Legends?

Apex Legends is currently over four years old, though is due to turn 5 in February 2024.