Because of their live-service model, it’s not common that a popular Battle Royale game gets a sequel. Thinking of the big three right now, neither Call of Duty: Warzone, Fortnite, or Apex Legends have a sequel, but that’s going to change relatively soon. Shortly after the announcement of Microsoft’s Activision-Blizzard acquisition, plans regarding the future of Call of Duty were also detailed.
As it stands, it seems players can expect Call of Duty 2022 from Infinity Ward this year (almost certainly to be Modern Warfare 2) and another mainline, multi-platform Call of Duty game in 2023. Next year’s release will also reportedly be accompanied by Call of Duty: Warzone 2, a sequel to the first BR game, utilizing 2023 and beyond games for its content while leaving the original Warzone in a more static form.
Call of Duty: Warzone moving toward a sequel is a big deal, but it also poses a serious question: can fans expect a Fortnite 2 or an Apex Legends 2? The answer is not likely for either, as both have gone through multiple seasons in one game (and Fortnite even has chapters), but Respawn itself weighed in on this question. During a recent interview with The Washington Post, Apex Legends game director Steven Ferreira discussed the future of the popular BR title.
According to Ferreira, one of the “coolest things” about working on Apex Legends is that it’s a live-service game keeping them in the moment. Respawn wants Apex to continue to grow beyond its current restraints, meaning it doesn’t really think about endgame but what it can do within this universe. As such, Ferreira directly states that “there’s no plans to sequel it, and there’s no plans to sunset it either.”
Respawn Entertainment does say there’s more it wants to try with Apex Legends than it can fit into a calendar, so the game is only likely to continue growing within itself—not by exploring a sequel. Apex Legends has proven to be a major success for EA, and so it makes sense to not really rock the boat by introducing a sequel when Apex still serves as a good hub for content.
Indeed, while it seems Call of Duty: Warzone’s bet is on a sequel and keeping the content distinct, Apex Legends’ future lies in continued reiteration and work on the game. That means, next year, players will see Call of Duty: Warzone 2 (reportedly), but that next year and the year after that, any major changes to Apex Legends will happen within Apex Legends—not a sequel.
Apex Legends is available for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Source: The Washington Post