Earlier this month, Electronic Arts (EA) and Respawn Entertainment scrubbed mention of a potential Feb. 2 release date for Apex Legends on Nintendo Switch. Then there was a Japanese Amazon listing for a physical version of the game with a Feb. 2 date. That means the game is launching today, right? Nope! According to a Japanese publication, Apex Legends on Switch has a final release date of March 9, and port specialist Panic Button is developing it with Respawn.
(Update: EA has released a formal announcement. Chiefly, “Switch players will be granted 30 free levels for their Season 8 Battle Pass. For the first two weeks after launch, playing on Switch will also earn you double XP.”)
We're proud to announce that Apex Legends launches on Nintendo Switch on March 9th, 2021.
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— Apex Legends (@PlayApex) February 2, 2021
Panic Button has delivered a lot of awesome Switch ports already, including of Rocket League, Wolfenstein, Doom, and, most recently, Doom Eternal. It is the ideal partner for any developer looking to optimize its game to run on Switch, and a free-to-play team-based shooter like Apex Legends is surely in need of some optimization.
EA still has a few more games planned for Nintendo Switch, including Lost in Random, Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville (which has not been formally announced yet), and an unannounced team-based action game from Velan Studios, the developer of Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. EA developer BioWare also thinks it is at least possible that Mass Effect Legendary Edition could come to Switch eventually.
In the meantime, the release of Panic Button’s Apex Legends on Switch may be another month away, but Season 8 of the game has begun today on all other platforms.
