‘Apex Legends’ to Undergo ‘Large Systematic Change’ at EA After Missing Monetization Targets for Latest Release

Electronic Arts is rethinking its approach to its long-running, free-to-play first-person shooter “Apex Legends” following soft monetization results for the live-services game’s most recent update and changes to its Battle Pass offering.

“In the quarter, Season 22 of ‘Apex Legends’ launched with significantly more new features for casual and seasoned players alike, including more modes, a new map and new anti-cheat software,” EA CEO Andrew Wilson said on a company fiscal second-quarter 2025 earnings call Tuesday. “Following changes to the battle pass construct, we did not see the lift in monetization we had expected. Two things have become clear in the free-to-play FPS category. First, in the competitive landscape where brand, a strong core player base and high quality mechanics matter more than ever, ‘Apex’ has proven to be a compelling franchise for us and an industry stalwart. Second, to drive significant growth and reengagement, large systematic change is required. We will continue to focus on retention and breadth of content in service of our global community as we work towards more significant, innovative changes in the future.”

According to CFO Stuart Canfield, net bookings for “Apex Legends” “fell short of our expectations for the quarter as we extended premium access across the entirety of the first half of the Season 22 Battle Pass.”

“Following the second half release of the Battle Pass on Sept. 17, we observed a return to spending conversion levels consistent with previous seasons,” Canfield said. “As we look forward, we have adjusted the rest of FY25 to reflect lower engagement than expected in our prior guidance. As Andrew mentioned, we are committed to delivering new experiences for our players with a continued focus on enhancing player engagement and retention.”

Canfield says EA expects “Apex Legends” “to grow the business back as we get through the latter parts of early ’26 and beyond.”

Wilson expanded on plans to overhaul the game later during the earnings call, clarifying that he does not expect this to mean the release of a sequel game to “Apex Legends,” but rather larger changes to the existing game, where EA will be “investing on two vectors.”

“The first is in the growth of our season-oriented content,” he said. “And what you’ve seen from us over the last few seasons is progressively bigger season drops each time. Very high quality has driven very high sentiment amongst our player base, and we’re adding to the level of innovation, creativity on a season by season basis.”

He continued: “What we’ve also observed is a need for meaningful, systematic innovation in the game that fundamentally changed the way the game plays more broadly. Our teams are working on that as well. We do have a moment right now where we are managing the current trajectory of the business, but we believe, by virtue of the strength of the brand, the size of the global community, the position we hold in the top tier of these free-to-play live-service games that will be able to return that to growth in the business side over the course of time.”