Respawn Entertainment has finally announced the release date for when Apex Legends is coming to Steam, meaning that PC players no longer have to rely solely on EA’s own Origin launcher to boot up the title.
EA has teamed up with Steam, bringing their EA Play service to the platform. You can also now buy Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and FIFA 21 on Steam too. It was only a matter of time until Apex joined the lineup.
However, the Apex release is now on its way, after it was initially expected to drop on Steam at the same time as Apex’s launch on Nintendo Switch, as well as the introduction of cross-play.
When is Apex Legends coming to Steam?
After plenty of leaks and rumors about the big release, Respawn finally confirmed on October 23 that Apex Legends is coming to Steam on November 4, along with the release of Season 7.
“Apex Legends is officially coming to Steam when Season 7 launches on November 4, 2020,” they revealed in a blog post.
- Read More: When is cross-play coming to Apex Legends?
EA first teased a partnership with Steam on October 25, when they tweeted out a video of an EA-emblazoned mug with steam coming out of the top of it.
This doesn’t mean that EA games will no longer be available on Origin, instead they will also be available on Steam with players able to play with friends on either launcher.
Exclusive Steam cosmetics for Apex Legends
As a reward for players coming to Apex Legends on Steam, three exclusive weapon charms will be available. The charms themselves are related to Valve games Portal and Half-Life.
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Apex Legends on mobile?
EA previously confirmed that they were working on a mobile version of Apex legends, but have gone quiet since. The Nintendo Switch release has now also been delayed until a later date.
“This year has brought on unexpected new challenges, to put it mildly, and we don’t want to rush anything out,” Respawn revealed, “Switch owners can expect to get their hands on Apex Legends next year.”
Apex Legends Cross-play
Cross-platform play was confirmed during EA Play in June, and was expected to release at the same time as the Steam and Nintendo Switch versions, “when Apex Legends does launch on Switch, it’ll come with support for cross-platform play.”
It was also confirmed, in the October 23 announcement, that PC players on Origin can switch to Steam and keep their account progress on the other launcher.
“If you’ve previously been playing on Origin, feel free to give it a spin on Steam,” Respawn Game Director Chad Grenier added, “all your account progression and unlocks will carry over between the two platforms. ”
EA stopped selling new games through Steam several years ago, instead choosing to run games through their own platform, Origin. This return allows them to reach a wider player-base.
Apex Legends has been a resounding success for EA. It reached 50 million players worldwide in just 28 days, challenging Epic Games’ global phenomenon Fortnite.