Apex Legends Solo Mode divides the Cross-Platform Community

Apex Legends has been one of the most popular and beloved battle royale titles on the market. When its developers and publishers created the Apex Legends mobile version, many players around the world celebrated the same occasion. However, the most recent addition of a new game mode is generating some controversy in the Apex Legends player community.

That addition is the solo mode where the players of Apex Legends mobile no longer require any teammates. Instead, they can simply jump into the battle royale matches on their own.

For many, however, this defeated the original spirit of this unique game, while other solo players want to see these solo modes on PC and console versions as well.

Source: EA.com

Apex Legends Mobile Version

When Apex Legends appeared on the market, many video game analysts were certain that the same title came too late to generate any meaningful traction. Back then, a number of battle royale games were already big among the shooter gaming fans.

These included Fortnite and PUBG, but also a range of Battlefield and Call of Duty releases as well with play solo modes. Other smaller developers were also making their unique and different version of the game concept where one player remains the ultimate champion.

All of these present and upcoming titles included some form of play solo battle royale mode. Thus, many were certain that Apex Legends stood no chance of generating a big player community.

Big Success

The creators of Apex Legends proved all critics very much wrong in a matter of months.

Through this, player retention skyrocketed and more and more people began joining matches. The success of the same main game was obvious in less than 12 months after its release.

Building Apex Legends Mobile Version

Quickly after the launch and success of the Apex Legends console versions and PC release, talk began of creating some form of Apex Legends mobile as well. But, the same process took time and effort, as the publisher wanted the release to be a permanent addition to the overall Titanfall world of games.

That is why the process demanded a lot of time and effort. But, three years after the original Apex Legends came out, the mobile version did the same. Apex Legends mobile appeared as a stand-alone title for both iOS and Android devices.

The game development teams that created it were Lightspeed and Quantum Studios. Both of these are Tencent's subsidiary companies, who managed to do a great job on this Apex Legends mobile game.

Apex Mobile Solo Mode

The Apex Legends mobile game developers are presently tight-lipped about the future of the solo mode. The same new solo mode is listed as present in the game, but it has no label marking it as a permanent addition.

However, the developers also do not mention that the ability to play solo is somehow limited. Otherwise, Apex Legends mobile version would list it as a limited happening in their full patch notes, like for example the Iron Crown event.

That is why right now, it is anyone's guess if the game will keep the play solo mode or remove it after some time. But, there is a sense that the non-mobile community is not happy about the same version of the game regardless of its shelf life.

Image: Charlieintel.com

Team Play

One of the cornerstones of Apex Legends is its heavy focus on team activity. In the regular console and PC version of the game, the players have to fight as a team. That includes either two or three players per team, depending on the game mode.

The new game mode, at least for the mobile version of the game, removes that condition. That puts Apex mobile solo mode closer to regular battle royale titles. In turn, some players believe that this negatively impacted the game's standing among similar titles.

Legend Abilities

There is another big issue related to the new game mode. It is connected to the game's characters, or its Legends. Currently, the Legend abilities are created to compliment team play. In other words, the game is designed to be played with other people.

For example, Bangalore, as a professional soldier, has the ability to launch smoke grenades to defend her teammates. Her ultimate ability, on the other hand, includes an artillery strike across a location.

This has been the feature of each season of Apex Legends so far. It managed to generate new player retention, which is why most non-mobile players are very much skeptical about this feature.

New Legends

The discussion about the solos feature also opened another possibility - this includes the chance that the developers are thinking about purposely designed Legends for the mobile version. Here, no issue related to squad composition would be important.

The same would include Legends made only for Apex mobile. These would be, presumably, created to cater to the solos and matches where the players basically play a regular battle royale game where it is all-against-all.

Yet, the same would be a very demanding process for Apex mobile. The teams building the game would need to include more than one such Legend and the issue of how these would fit into the rest of the game would soon appear as well.

That is why many believe that the possibility of Apex Legends mobile characters is very slim. However, if the popularity of the play solo mode expands, this cannot be taken off the table either.

Mobile Development

There is no doubt that the developers of Apex Legends mobile fully understand that they have a growing title on their hand. Its popularity is on the rise among mobile gamers and the gaming community.

But, the process of adding too many play solo elements could actually split the Apex Legends gaming community further. While Apex Legends mobile is an important addition to the same gaming space, playing solo is an open question for the PC and console versions.

That play solo questions will need a definite answer sooner or later and many Apex Legends players might not like it.