EA unable to Keep Apex Legends and Battlefield Mobile Live

Electronic Arts (EA) shocked fans by announcing the sunsetting of Apex Legends Mobile and the cancellation of Battlefield Mobile, which was slated to debut later this year. EA’s push into mobile following its 2021 Glu Games acquisition weighed on its revenue and EPS, missing street estimates. Per Sensor Tower estimates, Glu’s portfolio of games such as MLB Tap Baseball and Kim Kardashian: Hollywood have experienced a significant decrease in consumer spend with Q4 2022 net bookings of $11 million down 64 percent versus Q2 2021 when Glu was acquired.

The surprising cancellation of Apex Legends Mobile came after the game received game of the year awards from both Apple and Google. Since launch, the mobile game has accumulated 37 million worldwide installs and $37 million in net bookings, according to Sensor Tower data. Though Apex Legends’ results were undoubtedly affected by a broader decline in shooter popularity, with the overall category bookings down 25% year-over-year in Q4 2022, Apex Mobile bookings significantly lagged top titles like Call of Duty Mobile. Apex bookings were down 96 percent nearly 8 months post-launch compared to a 7 percent increase for Call of Duty Mobile.

Since EA takes great pride in producing consistently excellent games, we'll see what future releases can offer fans.

Sensor Tower empowers brands with accurate, actionable, and innovative intelligence to succeed in the rapidly evolving digital economy. Request a demo today for more insights on the mobile gaming landscape!