Apex Legends Drops Original Nintendo Switch Support Ahead of Season 30
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Apex Legends is ending support for the original Nintendo Switch on August 4, though cross-progression ensures player inventories will carry over to the Switch 2 and other platforms.
Respawn Entertainment has announced that Apex Legends will officially end support for the original Nintendo Switch on August 4, coinciding with the launch of Season 30. First arriving on Nintendo's portable platform back in March 2021, the hero shooter will no longer be playable on the legacy hardware once the upcoming seasonal update drops. Fortunately, player progression and purchased Apex Coins will not vanish into the void. Because inventory and currency are tied directly to EA accounts, players transitioning to other platforms or upgrading down the line will retain their unlocks.
While original Switch support is coming to a close, Respawn confirmed that the game will seamlessly transition to Nintendo's successor hardware. Future seasons of Apex Legends will continue on the upcoming console, which the studio points to as a necessary step for maintaining a high quality technical foundation. Understandably, the community reaction is mixed. Handheld-only players who rely on the original Switch are frustrated by the hardware barrier, while others argue that shedding aging last-gen consoles is necessary to push live-service games forward technically.
The situation highlights a growing pain point for cross-platform live-service ecosystems as developers grapple with the limitations of aging hardware. While digital ownership and cross-progression soften the blow by protecting invested money and cosmetic unlocks, leaving players behind on older devices is always a difficult pill to swallow. As the industry marches further into this hardware generation, expect more studios to face tough choices about when to sunset legacy versions in favor of newer systems. Original reporting can be found on Polygon.
Tags: Apex Legends, Nintendo Switch, Respawn Entertainment, Gaming News, Cross Progression
Original article: Polygon