'Titanfall 3' Is Not in Development, 'Apex Legends' Is Respawn's Focus

Respawn Entertainment dispelled rumors and theories surround the future of its Titanfall franchise by confirming Titanfall 3 isn't in development and Apex Legends is the studio's focus.

The reveal of Apex Legends came on Monday, Apex Legends being a battle royale game set in the Titanfall universe where players pick specialized characters and form teams of three to take on their enemies. There aren't any Titans in this game like there are in the main Titanfall games, a now-confirmed rumor which appeared in reports from the weekend, though some were hopeful those Titans would make a return in Titanfall 3 or whatever the next main game would be known as.

Eurogamer spoke to Respawn ahead of Apex Legends' reveal and confirmed that this wasn't the case though with the studio saying Titanfall 3 was not in development.

"There are some people who think there are too many battle royale games or it's a fad, the world thinks we're making Titanfall 3 and we're not – this is what we're making," Apex Legends' lead producer Drew McCoy told Eurogamer.

McCoy went on to say the studio began working on a free-to-play game "with essentially loot boxes" after being acquired by Electronic Arts, and that the game is not Titanfall 3 as people have now learned. The producer also said work towards Apex Legends had begun following the release of Titanfall 2 at which point the developer experimented with the battle royale genre and opted to make Apex Legends a full game as opposed to an in-game mode.

Surprise! Apex Legends, the next evolution of battle royale is here. Legendary challengers fight for glory. fame, and fortune on the fringes of the frontier. Available NOW FOR FREE on Xbox, PS4, and PC: //t.co/PVac9MlA0c.

— Apex Legends (@PlayApex) February 4, 2019

The news will certainly come as a disappointment to those who were waiting on Titanfall 3 to be announced and eventually released, especially those who recall reports from over a year ago that suggested such a game was in the works. Kotaku reported in 2017 that Respawn was indeed making Titanfall 3. That doesn't mean the game was never in development though with Kotaku reporting today that the game which was once Titanfall 3 has become Apex Legends.

Though Titanfall 3 isn't in development, the franchise's fans can still hopefully enjoy the new Apex Legends game that's out now as a free-to-play title for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, though it it'll be interesting to see how the game will be received in the crowded field of battle royale games.