Here's exactly when you can start playing Apex Legends on Nintendo Switch

The big day is finally here: Apex Legends is landing on Nintendo Switch. The port has been in the making for several years at this point. After a whole lot of rumors and a delay or two, Respawn Entertainment’s battle royale hit finally drops today.

If you want to be the first to queue up, we’ll take you through everything you need to know about the release in this post. That includes when you’ll be able to play and what you will (and won’t) be able to do at launch.

When is the Apex Legends Nintendo Switch launch time?

Apex Legends is expected to drop on Switch Tuesday, March 9, 2021 at around 6 p.m. Eastern. That could always shift an hour or two, so check back this evening to see if it's live in the eShop. The game will be free to download on Switch, as it is on other platforms.

What are the Apex Legends Nintendo Switch bonuses?

Those who download the game on Nintendo Switch will get a few extra perks. Since we’re already deep into the game’s latest season, players will get 30 free battle pass levels right out the gate. They’ll also get double XP for the first two weeks after it launches. On top of all that, players can grab a legendary Pathfinder skin for the game.

Is there crossplay in Apex Legends for Nintendo Switch?

Yes, there’s cross-play! That means Switch owners will be able to play with players on other platforms. Of course, going up against mouse and keyboard users with a set of joy-cons can be a challenge, so have fun with that struggle.

Is there cross-progression in Apex Legends for Nintendo Switch?

Unfortunately, no. Apex Legends does not feature cross-progression, even though it has cross-play. That means that you can’t carry over any of your unlocks from PC or other consoles to Switch. The good news is that Respawn Entertainment is at least hoping to accomplish that at some point.

“It is planned, but I think we’re a ways out from being able to offer that,” Respawn’s Chad Grenier told Nintendo Life. “We’re doing work to try to make that happen, it’s a complex challenge of multiple accounts existing for various users that we have to resolve or merge, there are legal and contractual things to navigate with purchasing on other platforms and having those carryover and also some technical challenges. So it’s not something we can just turn on, but we are working towards having it and the team is passionate about delivering it at some point.”

Will Apex Legends Switch include the Chaos Theory Collection event?

The Switch launch isn’t the only big thing in store for Apex Legends today. The game’s new Chaos Theory Collection event kicks off at 1 p.m. Eastern on March 9. The good news for Switch players is that they’ll be able to jump right into it when they download the game. They’ll be a few hours late to the party, but no rush here.

The event brings a load of new content and cosmetics to the game, including 24 limited-time items. The update also adds Ring Fury, a new mode, to the game. This takeover playlist is a standard battle royale match with a twist: damaging circles will form inside of the circle. EA describes the event as an “escalation,” which will continually tweak how the mode works throughout the two weeks it’ll be live. The event ends on March 23.

Apex Legends is available for the Nintendo Switch starting March 9, 2021 at 6 p.m. Eastern.