Apex Legends came out on February 4, 2019, on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Respawn Entertainment and EA revealed it and released it on the same day, with no teaser campaign and no public beta, and it reached 10 million players in its first 72 hours. Since then the game has run as a free-to-play live service with a new season roughly every three months. Season 30, Marked, is the one live in October 2026.
When did Apex Legends come out?
The short answer is Monday, February 4, 2019. Respawn, the studio behind Titanfall, announced the game during a livestream that morning and switched the servers on a few hours later. There was no closed beta that the public could sign up for, which is why searches for an "Apex Legends beta release date" come up empty: the first version anyone outside the studio played was the full release.
The surprise drop worked. Respawn reported one million players within about eight hours, 2.5 million within 24 hours and 10 million within 72 hours. The launch roster had eight legends and one map, Kings Canyon, and the first Battle Pass did not arrive until Season 1 six weeks later.
Every Apex Legends season so far
The table lists each season with its launch date in US time (patches usually go live at 10 AM Pacific, so the date can already be the next day in Asia and Oceania). A "None" in the legend column means the season shipped without a new character and focused on reworks, modes or maps instead. For details on each character, see our Apex Legends characters guide.
| Season | Name | Start date | New legend | New map or major change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 (Launch) | Preseason | Feb 4, 2019 | Launch roster of 8: Bangalore, Bloodhound, Caustic, Gibraltar, Lifeline, Mirage, Pathfinder, Wraith | Kings Canyon, the original map |
| 1 | Wild Frontier | Mar 19, 2019 | Octane | First Battle Pass |
| 2 | Battle Charge | Jul 2, 2019 | Wattson | Kings Canyon reworked, Ranked Leagues added |
| 3 | Meltdown | Oct 1, 2019 | Crypto | World's Edge map, Charge Rifle |
| 4 | Assimilation | Feb 4, 2020 | Revenant | World's Edge changes, Sentinel sniper |
| 5 | Fortune's Favor | May 12, 2020 | Loba | Kings Canyon changes (Skull Town destroyed), Quests |
| 6 | Boosted | Aug 18, 2020 | Rampart | World's Edge changes, crafting, Volt SMG |
| 7 | Ascension | Nov 4, 2020 | Horizon | Olympus map, Clubs, Steam release |
| 8 | Mayhem | Feb 2, 2021 | Fuse | Kings Canyon changes, 30-30 Repeater |
| 9 | Legacy | May 4, 2021 | Valkyrie | Arenas mode, Bocek Compound Bow |
| 10 | Emergence | Aug 3, 2021 | Seer | World's Edge changes, Rampage LMG |
| 11 | Escape | Nov 2, 2021 | Ash | Storm Point map, C.A.R. SMG |
| 12 | Defiance | Feb 8, 2022 | Mad Maggie | Olympus changes, Control mode |
| 13 | Saviors | May 10, 2022 | Newcastle | Storm Point changes, Ranked overhaul |
| 14 | Hunted | Aug 9, 2022 | Vantage | Kings Canyon changes, account level cap raised to 500 |
| 15 | Eclipse | Nov 1, 2022 | Catalyst | Broken Moon map |
| 16 | Revelry | Feb 14, 2023 | None | Legend class rework, Team Deathmatch, Nemesis AR |
| 17 | Arsenal | May 9, 2023 | Ballistic | World's Edge changes, weapon mastery |
| 18 | Resurrection | Aug 8, 2023 | None | Revenant fully rebuilt |
| 19 | Ignite | Oct 31, 2023 | Conduit | Storm Point changes |
| 20 | Breakout | Feb 13, 2024 | None | Legend Upgrades (in-match perks) |
| 21 | Upheaval | May 7, 2024 | Alter | Broken Moon changes, Solos mode |
| 22 | Shockwave | Aug 6, 2024 | None | E-District map |
| 23 | From the Rift | Nov 5, 2024 | None | Lifeline rework, Launch Royale mode |
| 24 | Takeover | Feb 11, 2025 | None | Weapon damage and time-to-kill update, Arsenal Stations |
| 25 | Prodigy | May 6, 2025 | Sparrow | Arenas back as a limited-time mode |
| 26 | Showdown | Aug 5, 2025 | None | Wildcard mode, Elite weapons, Amps |
| 27 | Amped | Nov 4, 2025 | None | Olympus update, Mantle Boost, Valkyrie/Rampart/Horizon buffs |
| 28 | Breach | Feb 10, 2026 | None | Hardlight Mesh windows, Fuse rework, 7th anniversary |
| 29 | Overclocked | May 5, 2026 | Axle | Deathbox Respawns, Chained Healing, Cyberpunk crossover in Split 2 |
| 30 | Marked | Aug 4, 2026 | None | Bloodhound rework, World's Edge rework, Corrupted Attachments |
A few patterns stand out. From Season 1 to Season 15 every season brought a new legend, and new maps arrived roughly once a year: World's Edge (Season 3), Olympus (Season 7), Storm Point (Season 11), Broken Moon (Season 15) and E-District (Season 22). From 2023 onward Respawn shifted toward seasons built around reworks and systems instead, which is why many recent rows show no new legend. The two legends added since 2025 are Sparrow (Season 25) and Axle (Season 29).
Seasons are split into two halves. Each split brings its own Battle Pass half and a fresh Ranked split, so when people talk about "Split 2" they mean the second half of the current season, not a new season. If you want a closer look at an older season, our Season 28 Breach overview covers that update in detail.
Which Apex Legends season is live now?
As of October 15, 2026, the live season is Season 30: Marked, which launched on August 4, 2026. Its headline changes are a full Bloodhound rework (a new passive, a tactical that leaves snapshot scans and a new cloaking ultimate), a reworked World's Edge with new points of interest, Corrupted Attachments that add power with a tradeoff, an energy weapon overhaul, and buffs for Loba and Rampart.
Split 2 of Marked started on September 15, 2026. It brought a new Ranked split and Battle Pass half, buffs for Conduit, Fuse, Catalyst and Bloodhound, nerfs to Axle and Seer, and buffs to the Triple Take, Bocek Compound Bow and Charge Rifle.
Respawn had not posted an official end date for Marked at the time of writing. Seasons normally last about 13 weeks and change over on a Tuesday, so the end is expected in early November 2026; the community wiki lists November 3, 2026. Respawn's published roadmap says Season 31 (November 2026 to January 2027) will bring another legend rework, a new akimbo weapon and Battle Royale mode updates, but treat any exact date as unconfirmed until EA posts the season announcement.
Apex Legends release dates by platform
| Platform | Release date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PC (Origin, now the EA app) | Feb 4, 2019 | Launch platform |
| PlayStation 4 | Feb 4, 2019 | Launch platform |
| Xbox One | Feb 4, 2019 | Launch platform |
| PC (Steam) | Nov 4, 2020 | Arrived with Season 7, progression shared with the EA version |
| Nintendo Switch | Mar 9, 2021 | Port by Panic Button, delayed from fall 2020 |
| PS5 and Xbox Series X|S (native) | Mar 29, 2022 | Before this, both consoles ran the PS4 and Xbox One versions |
| Nintendo Switch 2 (native) | Aug 5, 2025 | Launched alongside Season 26 |
| iOS and Android (Apex Legends Mobile) | May 17, 2022 | Separate game, shut down on May 1, 2023 |
Apex Legends Mobile was a separate game built with LightSpeed Studios, not a port of the console version, and it had its own legends, progression and store. It won mobile game of the year awards from both Apple and Google for 2022, yet EA announced on January 31, 2023 that it would close, citing content that fell short on quality and cadence. In-app purchases stopped that day and servers went offline on May 1, 2023. Progress from the mobile game never carried over to PC or console, so there is no official way to play Apex on phones today.
Why the release date matters when you look at an account
An account's history follows this timeline. Season-limited Battle Pass skins and Ranked badges can only have been earned in the season they came out, so the season list above is a quick way to check whether a listing's claims make sense. A badge from Season 2 Ranked, for example, can only belong to an account that played in mid-2019. If you are weighing up a used account, our guide on what to look for when buying an Apex Legends account explains how to check those details, and you can browse verified listings in our Apex Legends account catalog.
Frequently asked questions
When did Apex Legends come out?
Apex Legends came out on February 4, 2019 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It was announced and released on the same day.
Was there an Apex Legends beta?
Not for the main game. PC and console players went straight to the full release on February 4, 2019. Only the separate Apex Legends Mobile went through limited regional testing before its global launch in May 2022.
How many seasons does Apex Legends have?
Thirty, as of October 2026. Season 30, Marked, started on August 4, 2026, and Season 31 is expected in early November 2026.
Is Apex Legends still on mobile?
No. Apex Legends Mobile launched worldwide on May 17, 2022 and was shut down on May 1, 2023. Today the game runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and Switch 2.
Sources
- EA: Apex Legends Marked game updates
- Apex Legends Marked midseason patch notes (mirror of EA notes)
- EA: Apex Legends Overclocked patch notes
- EA: Apex Legends Breach game updates
- EA: Apex Legends Switch launch
- Apex Legends Wiki: Seasons
- Apex Legends Wiki: Apex Legends Mobile
- Gematsu: PS5 and Xbox Series versions launch March 29
- Gematsu: Apex Legends coming to Switch 2 on August 5
- PC Gamer: Apex Legends comes to Steam on November 4
- TouchArcade: Apex Legends Mobile shutting down
- MobileSyrup: 10 million players in 72 hours
