Does Apex Legends Support Switch Crossplay?
Since its release in early 2019, Apex Legends has been climbing the ladder in the closely fought battle royale scene. After capitalising on the PC, PlayStation, and Xbox market, Respawn Entertainment is finally making good on its promise to round off the family and bring the chaos of the Titanfall spin-off to Nintendo Switch.
While Switch players have been left out in the cold for the past two years, our patience is paying off with the long-awaited port. The big question is, will Apex Legends on Switch also support crossplay?
With Apex Legends landing on the Switch for an all-star March 9 release, we're lighting the "Fuse" on its explosive arrival. The subjects of crossplay and cross-progression have dogged Apex from the early days, and with crossplay being late to the party in October last year, there are worries that Switch players could again be left behind. Thankfully, we've got the answer.
Will Apex Legends on Nintendo Switch support crossplay?
You're in luck; Respawn has confirmed Apex Legends on Nintendo Switch will fully support crossplay. This means you'll be able to duke it out with your mates on other systems, without being left languishing in your own queue alongside sluggish wait times. Crossplay has become a much-requested feature of modern shooters for those who want to play with others and not be locked to a specific console or PC. We've seen the likes of Call of Duty: Warzone and Fortnite make the most of these capabilities, and while there are continued complaints about cheaters on PC, most would rather crossplay is enabled.
Although the Switch version of Apex Legends is almost identical to its console counterparts, there have been a few tweaks of “smart optimisations” to make sure the whole thing runs smoothly. The biggest challenges come from getting the game to run in both handheld and docked form, but by the sounds of it, the dev teams have cracked it. Panic Button is responsible for porting the game to Switch, and given its great work on bringing DOOM Eternal to Nintendo, we've got high hopes. Either way, the news you'll be able to play against your PlayStation and Xbox rivals is a major win for Respawn.
Does Apex Legends on Nintendo Switch support cross-progression?
Now for the bad news. Those suiting up and leaping off the dropship on Switch will have to start from scratch. Like other versions, the Switch Apex Legends won't support cross-progression - meaning all that grind you've already ploughed into Season 8's Battle Pass will be lost. While Fortnite allows you to keep your progression no matter what platform you play on, Apex Legends is keeping us separate for now. There have been complaints that Respawn doesn't allow cross-progression, which has become a recurring point of contention.
In September last year, dataminers claimed Apex Legends cross-progression could be on the way, but as it stands, you're resigned to your specific console. Considering Season 8 is already well underway, it's a blow that cross-progression isn't coming with the Switch release. To help ease the pain, Switch players will be given 30 free Battle Pass levels and double XP for the first two weeks.
We can't win them all, but with Apex Legends on Nintendo Switch just over the "Horizon" and supporting crossplay, we can't wait to give the battle royale bonanza another "Lifeline".
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