Apex Legends crossplay, Nintendo Switch port coming this fall

Respawn's battle royale is about to get a lot bigger. At EA Play on June 18, the developers announced that it's free-to-play hit Apex Legends will come to Nintendo Switch this fall, with more details to come at a later date. The game will also be available on Steam, with full crossplay also rolling out later this year.

The EA Play announcement didn't touch on next-gen consoles like PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, but an eventual release on those new platforms seems all but inevitable. Even so, today's announcement bodes well for the Apex community, and speaks to Respawn and EA's long-term commitment to the game.

The Switch port wasn't a total shock. VentureBeat's Jeff Grubb, who's proven to be a reliable source of information for this summer's ever-growing slate of Not-E3 reveal events, had predicted earlier in the week that Apex would get some serious love during EA's event:

"During a recent conference call with investors, EA noted that it was looking more seriously at supporting the Switch. That could take many forms. But at the very least, it should mean Apex Legends making the leap to the Nintendo hybrid home console/handheld.

I would like to see EA shadow-drop some older games on the Switch, but who knows how much work that entails. A game like Apex Legends could make money for years, though."

Apex Legends is currently in its fifth season of content, Fortune's Favor. Kicking off May 12, Apex Season 5 introduced a new playable character named Loba, who has some nifty teleportation skills. In addition to new lore centered around Loba, the current season also added a new battle pass, a quest system for solo and squad players, and the reconnect feature, allowing players to rejoin a session after unexpected technical hitches.

The next in-game event coming to Apex Legends kicks off Tuesday, June 23. The Lost Treasures Collection event will have new skins, collectables, a brand-new limited-time mode, and more:

EA and Respawn have yet to reveal an end date for Apex Legends Season 5. However, based on past patterns, it's likely to fall sometime in mid-August. Typically, Apex seasons last roughly three months. However, with COVID-19 having spawned many unforeseen logistical hurdles across the games industry, a slight delay isn't outside the realm of possibility. In recent weeks, new seasons of Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone have seen delays, at least partially due to the knock-on effects of the continuing pandemic.

Apex Legends comes to Steam and Nintendo Switch in fall 2020.