EA Just Canceled a Secret 'Apex Legends' Game – But What Exactly Was It?
Published Feb. 1 2023, 5:30 p.m. ET
Electronic Arts is one of the biggest publishers in all of gaming, but the past few days have been rough for the company. Not only did the studio just sunset Apex Legends Mobile, but a new report indicates an unannounced game set in the Apex universe has also been canceled. Most of the team working on the secret game will be reassigned to other projects within EA, while the remaining employees will be laid off.
The canceled project was never formally revealed, and that has much of the community wondering what the secret Apex Legends game could have been. There’s not much to go off of – but there are a few reasonable ideas floating around.
What was the secret Apex Legends game?
Before Respawn started working on Apex Legends, the team was responsible for the highly reviewed Titanfall and Titanfall 2. Many of the ideas in that franchise found a home in Apex Legends (such as its fluid movement system), and it even shares a universe with the battle royale. That led many fans to believe the secret game could have been Titanfall 3 – a title that’s been hotly anticipated since Titanfall 2 launched in 2016.
According to the same report that revealed the secret game’s closure, those fans may have been right. The canceled game was given the code name TFL (Titanfall Legends) and was a single-player game that took place in the shared Apex Legends/Titanfall universe. And while it doesn’t have a “3” anywhere in the title, it’s very possible it would have served as a true sequel to the iconic FPS.
Why was the game canceled?
While sources close to the game couldn’t explain why it was canceled, there’s no shortage of speculation. For one, the game was being directed by Mohammad Alavi – but he left the team in early 2022. His departure may have left Titanfall Legends without a firm direction for its development, causing EA to shut down its production.
It’s also worth mentioning that the first two Titanfall games didn’t put up impressive sales numbers. Titanfall 2 did manage to earn rave reviews from critics and fans, although that never translated to commercial success. Apex Legends, meanwhile, is one of the best-performing games in EA’s catalog. And with the company currently experiencing a bit of turmoil with Apex Legends Mobile and the delayed Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, it might be trying to double down on the core Apex Legends experience.
EA has yet to give a formal reason for Titanfall Legends closure, so for now, we’re left with speculation. Regardless, it’s clear that Titanfall fans will be waiting a bit longer for a sequel. But since Apex Legends borrows many of the game’s core concepts, now might be a great time to dive in.