It looks like Respawn Entertainment – the developers behind Apex Legends – is launching two new games this year.
Both are expected to arrive on PS4 and Xbox One, but there are also growing hopes that a new game might reach Nintendo Switch too.
It was recently announced by EA that Respawn is in charge of two important video games projects in 2019.
Described as “Premium games” during a recent earnings call one will be a new Star Wars game, while the other will be a Titanfall title.
For those that don’t know, Apex Legends is a free-to-play Battle Royale game set in the Titanfall universe.
However, it doesn’t feature wall-running or the signature Titan robots found in the mainline franchise.
It’s unclear if this new Titanfall game in production will be Titanfall 3, as it has been described as a “twist” on the normal formula.
“Respawn also plans to launch a premium game this year that is a new twist on the Titanfall universe. More to come on that in the months ahead,” Electronic Arts’ head Andrew Wilson revealed during the earnings call.
“We will drive the Titanfall universe forward with Apex Legends live services and a premium game later in the year,” he continued.
“As the live service evolves, Respawn also plans to launch a premium game this year that is a new twist on the Titanfall universe.”
What that could mean is anyone’s guess, perhaps a Titanfall game that pulls from a different genre? Like RTS or card-playing.
Whatever it is, the premium tag suggests it will be released on PS4 and Xbox One, and there is hope that Nintendo Switch might be included.
EA didn’t make any reference to what platforms these new games will be released on, but recent reports suggest that Frostbite Engine support for Switch is being worked on.
So that could make it possible for future games from Respawn to work on Switch without the need of a custom engine.
Respawn is also releasing Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, which should be one of the first games developed by the studio for the Frostbite Engine.
It’s a single-player adventure game which is scheduled for launch later in 2019 and has no connection with a launch on Switch.
“In addition to Apex Legends, another team at Respawn is set to deliver Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order this fall,” Wilson commented.
“This game’s development is led by the former director of the God of War series, with a team of veterans from some of the industry’s biggest action-adventure games.
“It’s very far along in development and having spent time with it recently myself; it plays spectacularly well. This game truly captures the fantasy of becoming a Jedi, and we will have a lot more to share soon.”
There’s no guarantee that either of these titles will be announced for Nintendo Switch but is there still hope for Apex Legends?
Drew McCoy, the lead producer of the game recently told Eurogamer that they would love to bring Apex Legends to the hybrid console.
He also added that there are no current plans to discuss regarding the game on Switch, so that could prove another red flag.
The fact that an Apex Legends port has not been ruled out at this point should give fans hope of something being released in the future.
It may fall to another developer who specialises in Switch ports to handle production in the future.
But if the Battle Royale game continues to post impressive player numbers, it would make sense to make it available on as many platforms as possible.