Before it was released in May 2022, some players were skeptical aboutApex Legends Mobile,especially given the lukewarm response to the Nintendo Switch port. EA and Respawn Entertainment’s free-to-play battle royaleApex Legendshas enjoyed a consistent level of popularity since it first launched in 2019, but the hero shooter was not originally designed for touchscreens, and some thought a mobile version would suffer in comparison. However,Apex Legends' mobile iteration has proven to be a success, expanding the reach of the title and introducing some brand-new elements.
Apex Legends' mobile version was always going to bring some changes, with a stripped-back character roster and other adjustments setting it apart from its predecessor. These work well for the most part, but the decision to create mobile-exclusive characters has rubbed some fans up the wrong way, asSupport character Rhapsody’s mobile-only releasehas shown.
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Introducing Rhapsody
The second season forApex Legends Mobileis bringing a slew of exciting new content, including a brand-new Support character. The music-minded Rhapsody will help to flesh out the side of the character roster that’s not so focused on all-out offensive moves and shouldbalanceApex Legends Mobile’s gameplay. Forced to compete in the Apex Games to help her family out of a sticky situation, Rhapsody is a Legend with a ton of heart and a passion for music.
Her abilities include Hype Anthem, a move that speeds up nearby squadmates while also restoring their shields through the power of a well-timed tune. Her robotic helper Rowdy brings its own Perks and assists Rhapsody in her Support role as the two of them navigate the battlefield bringing help to other players.Apex Legendsis notoriously skewed towards Offensive characters, as both the original and the mobile version have an overabundance of these types of Legends in contrast to the groups of Defensive, Support, or Recon options. Rhapsody should help redress this imbalance, but this will only affectApex Legends Mobilefor the time being.
The Division Between Mobile And Other Platforms
Despite fan reservations,Apex Legends Mobilehas demonstrated what a successful portcan look like. On the surface, not that much has changed, but there are a few gameplay differences that set the mobile version apart from the original base game. One of the biggest changes, however, is the mobile-only content that has been rolling out over the last few months. It’s true thatApex Legends Mobilelaunched with a much-reduced roster compared to its console counterpart, but now it’s getting its own characters and the two versions are starting to grow even more apart.
A fresh start for the mobile version made sense and allowed the game to reassess the balance between characters. It also introduced an exclusive Offensive Legend called Fade, but while console gamers may have felt like they were missing out on a new character, Fade doesn’t seem like as much of a misstep as Rhapsody.Apex Legendsis low on Support Legends, and introducing a new one that will shake up the current meta in all the best ways is a smart move, but not if they’re mobile-only. This just creates more division between the versions ofApex Legendsand is only focused on improving the experience for some but not all players.
There isn’t an inherent problem with the mobile version getting its own unique content, but it seems like the focus should be on the base game and not its mobile port, which arguably has a smaller playerbase. However, withRhapsody described on the officialApex Legendssiteas ‘Mobile First,’ the Support character might make her way over to the base game eventually. Hopefully that’s the case.
Apex Legends Mobileis available now for Android and iOS devices.
