Apex Legends continues to keep its community and player base active with seasonal updates, hero launches, and the occasional new game modes, but for those without a proper gaming set-up, its smartphone counterpart is the closest it gets to experiencing the battle royale rush. Starting 18 May 2022 (GMT+8), Apex Mobile Legends will be available globally on Android and iOS devices for free, offering a mix of familiar and novel elements for both newcomers and existing players.
Kicking off its first season is an all-new gameplay trailer that showcases Fade in action — a new Legend who’s only exclusive to Apex Legends Mobile. A high-tech super soldier who harnesses powerful phase-shifting technology, his skillset is reminiscent of Tracer’s Rewind ability in Overwatch, which plays around with space and time. Where his tactical, Flashback, allows him to reset himself backward a number of points earlier in an encounter, his ultimate, Phase Chamber, pushes anyone in a blast radius into a phase space, where they are unable to deal or receive damage. Fade will also gain a movement speed bonus while in this state.
Similar to its console and PC versions, Apex Legends Mobile sorts players into a three-man team to pit them against up to 19 other squads in a battle royale format. The game has been built from the ground up, and will feature streamlined and optimised controls for smartphones, alongside existing offerings such as a month-long Battle Pass system, Legend progression, and weekly challenges.
Players can look forward to the following maps and modes at launch:
- Battle Royale on the World’s Edge map
- ⦁ 3v3 Arena mode on Thermal Station, Artillery and Overflow
- An all-new, mobile-first Team Deathmatch mode on Deathmatch and Clash rules across five maps: Market, Artillery, Overflow, Thermal Station, and last but not least, Skull Town

The introduction of Fade to Apex Legends Mobile is likely to spice things up, especially with his kit leaving heavily into a faster-paced, more aggressive play style. He will be joined by nine other Legends from the main game’s roster at launch: Bangalore, Bloodhound, Caustic, Gibraltar, Lifeline, Mirage, Octane, Pathfinder, and Wraith. Newcastle, the new face of Season 13, is not on the list.
The game is co-developed by Lightspeed and Quantum Studios alongside original developer Respawn Entertainment. It can be downloaded from Google Play and the App Store, with more content planned in the pipeline.