Respawn Entertainment has confirmed that Panic Button was the developer behind porting their the free-to-play battle royale game Apex Legends to Nintendo Switch.
The studio is best known for its efforts to port games such as Rocket League, DOOM, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus and DOOM Eternal to the portable home console.
“Today, I’m proud to come to you with some good news. Apex Legends is coming to Nintendo Switch on March 9th, 2021,” enthuses Apex Legends game director Chad Grenier.
“Porting Apex Legends to its smallest screen yet is a major achievement, and we couldn’t have done it without our friends at Panic Button. We’re very proud of what the team has been able to achieve with some smart optimizations for the Switch port to deliver a full-featured Apex Legends experience on the go.
“Apex Legends will launch on Switch with support for cross-platform play, our latest seasonal content, and full feature parity with the other versions of the game.
“Plus, since we’re launching a few weeks after the start of Season 8, 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 can’t wait to welcome Switch players to the arena. Keep an eye out for more news about the latest updates we’re bringing to Apex Legends. See you soon, Legends.”
Developed by Respawn Entertainment, Apex Legends was released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in February 2019 and will now come to the portable home console.
Pitched as “a character-driven, squad-based Battle Royale shooter where teamwork is the difference between victory and defeat,” you will first choose your character from a lineup of outlaws, soldiers, misfits and misanthropes before being challenged to survive long enough to be called a Legend.
You will need to master your Legend’s abilities and work as a team to succeed in competitive 60-player matches, relying on Respawn Beacons to resurrect your teammates and Smart Comms to communicate with one another without the need for voice chat.
The game comes to Nintendo Switch with support for cross-platform play, the latest seasonal content, and “full feature parity with the other versions of the game.”
Apex Legends will release as a free download on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch worldwide on 9th March 2021.
