EA President Laura Miele believes Apex Legends has the narrative depth and world-building to support a movie or TV series adaptation, and it sounds like plans may already be taking shape. Although nothing official has been announced yet, Miele discussed the possibility of adapting the popular franchise with Variety in a wide-ranging interview.
Apex Legends is a free-to-play battle royale first-person shooter from developer Respawn Entertainment that launched for consoles and PC in February 2019. It's set in the same universe as the Titanfall series, EA's critically acclaimed but commercially underrated FPS.
Apex Legends takes place years after the events of Titanfall 2 but focuses on a bloodsport called the Apex Games, held in the aftermath of that war. The game features a rich cast of colorful characters, many of whom have direct ties to Titanfall 2 lore.
Although Apex Legends is deeply rooted in Titanfall lore with compelling characters who have intriguing backstory, delivering that narrative can sometimes be difficult in the battle royale format. Unlike a Titanfall 2, which featured a widely praised single-player campaign, Apex Legends is all multiplayer-focused, so story iis revealed through in-game voice lines, quips, and interactions between Legends during matches. New seasons are also often accompanied by cinematic trailers and comic-style story chapters. It's servicable, and more than what many other battle royale games offer, but it's also not ideal for those who are heavily invested in narrative, especially when you've got a universe as expansive as Titanfall and a cast of characters as interesting as Apex.
This is where Miele sees the potential for a possible movie and television series adaptation. Speaking to variety, she hinted that players “don’t have all the backstory, the history, and there’s just rich worlds and rich history with these characters and these legends that can come to life through linear media and partnerships."
"We’re pretty motivated to do that, and doing it in a way that really respects and upholds the brand and the franchise," she added.
Apex Legends is both a critical and commerical success, even while launching as a free-to-play game. With over 130 million registered players globally as of 2024, it's consistently among the top battle royale games, competing with the likes of Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone, the latter of which is even in danger of cancelation. Given the game's popularity and the recent success of many video game adaptations, it sounds like it's only a matter of time before EA pulls the trigger on a movie or TV series for Apex Legends.
Would you watch an Apex Legends series or film?