Apex Legends Adds Solo Mode, but Only for Mobile

Apex Legends Mobile now has a solo-only mode which allows players to drop in by themselves while taking on “teams” of other solo players. It’s essentially a free-for-all mode, and while it’s good news for those who play Apex Legends Mobile, news that this version of the game has gotten such a mode hasn’t gone over quite as well with those who play Apex Legends on the console or PC platforms.

The addition of the solo mode in Apex Legends Mobile was referenced in the game’s patch notes with the start of the Aftershow season that’s live now. Called the “ultimate solo challenge,” solo mode needs little additional explanation – you drop in by yourself, and that’s that.

View on X

It’s a mode that’s got a long history in Apex Legends beyond this latest mobile addition, and that’s exactly why some players aren’t happy that it’s on the mobile version now. Back in Season 2, Respawn Entertainment added a solo mode as part of the Iron Crown Collection Event. This mode was always said to be a limited-time playlist, however, and indeed it was. It was ultimately removed after Respawn said it “negatively impacted the game, especially when it came to new player retention.”

A future update added a “No-Fill Matchmaking” option which, as its name suggests, made it so that players wouldn’t get teammates in either the Duos or Trios game modes. This effectively made it so that people could play solo if they wanted to, but it meant that those players were always against a 1v2 or 1v3 scenario, so it wasn’t the fix people wanted.

View on X

It’s been a popular request since all that took place, so naturally, people are using this Apex Legends Mobile update as a way to ask for a solo mode to once again return to Apex Legends proper. Others have pointed out, however, that as is the case with many mobile spin-offs, Apex Legends Mobile is a completely different type of game and environment than Apex Legends (it even has its own exclusive Legends), so the comparisons there don’t track as well. Apex Legends Mobile is also made by Lightspeed & Quantum Studios “under the supervision of Respawn Entertainment,” so there’s a developer difference, too.

Respawn has made no indication that solos will ever return to Apex Legends, so for now, expect to see this mode only available in Apex Legends Mobile for the time being.