Why Is This Fan-Favorite Multiplayer Game Leaving Nintendo Switch?

Over the last decade, the Nintendo Switch has become one of the biggest successes in gaming, with the console’s fusion of a home console and a portable platform giving it a natural versatility that no other console could match. Launching almost nine years ago at the time of writing, that swift and enduring success has cemented the Switch alongside the likes of the NES and the PS2 as one of the most culturally ubiquitous consoles ever released. However, as with all things, the Switch was eventually going to be outmoded by advances in the market and be replaced by another console.

Case in point, the Nintendo Switch 2 launched last year and has quickly become one of the fastest-selling consoles in history. Even with some exclusive titles hitting that console and not the previous one, though, continued third-party support and free-to-play hits would suggest that the Switch has plenty of life left in it. That’s what makes one popular online multiplayer game’s decision to leave the original Switch later this year all the more worrisome for Switch fans, as it could signal a shift in how the larger industry and developers look at the console’s future going forward.

Apex Legends Is Leaving The Switch In August

While the game will still be available to play on the Switch 2 for the foreseeable future, the original Nintendo Switch is losing access to Apex Legends — which could signal a growing sundowning of the hit console. At the end of January, Apex Legends developer Respawn revealed on social media that the Nintendo Switch’s final update for the game would be Season 29. Afterwards, they will cease development of updates for the Switch. This shutdown isn’t set to hit the console until August 4, so Switch players still have a few months left to dive into the title and mine it for everything they can. As of August 4, however, Apex Legends will no longer work on the system, and add-ons for the game in the digital Nintendo store will be removed.

Apex Legends was quick to clarify that this doesn’t mean the game will be fully unavailable to Nintendo players, just for people using the older console. Apex Legends will still work on the Nintendo Switch 2, and any in-game progress, Apex Coins, cosmetics, and other purchases players made on their Switch versions of the game will automatically carry over to the Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game, so long as players log into the same EA account. This means that Apex Legends isn’t going to be completely leaving Nintendo behind, but it does prove that the two companies are more focused on bringing those regular Apex Legends players off the older system and onto the new console. That’s bad news for the Switch, even if the massively popular console is still in strong circulation.

Why Apex Legends Leaving The Switch Matters

The widespread success of the Switch on a global scale means that Nintendo has plenty of reason to keep up with game development on the console for the foreseeable future. It also makes it an ideal place for indie creatives and third-party developers, as the older consoles’ lack of some of the PS5 and Xbox X/S’s biggest titles means the competition isn’t so fierce. However, the Switch is entering the typical final years of a console’s lifespan. Most video game consoles get roughly eight to ten years of active game development before publishers move onto new platforms. Debuting in 2017, the Switch quickly became one of the best-selling game consoles of all time, justifying a longer lifespan than most consoles. In the years since, it’s developed a deep bench of AAA titles and quirky indie hits, meaning that players who are sticking with the console still have plenty of games left to discover.

However, especially after the Switch 2 launched last year, it was only a matter of time before support for the Switch began to shift away. It’s already been happening with Nintendo’s marquee franchises, which have moved on to exclusive Nintendo Switch 2 releases. While Metroid Prime 4: Beyond came to both the Switch and the Switch 2, other franchises like Donkey Kong and Mario Kart didn’t have a cross-platform release and instead highlighted the advancements that come with the new console. Apex Legends following suit suggests that more titles with frequent DLC or live-service updates may also soon stop seeing the value in updating for the older model.

This would be a serious problem for the Switch’s longevity if other similar games like Fortnite were to follow suit. The Switch’s ability to be a console on the go is partly predicated on that connective online capability, and losing too many of those games could lead players to move on to different consoles. The strength of the Switch’s hardware and the depth of the established game library mean the console could continue for a while, and it doesn’t mean players should dump the console immediately. However, if they’re hoping to keep up with the newest trends in gaming, then an enduring multiplayer title like Apex Legends leaving the console suggests Switch is living on borrowed time.