August 5, 2025 – Fresh off another strong quarterly earnings report buoyed by its live service titans, Electronic Arts (EA) is signalling serious interest in expanding the Apex Legends universe beyond the battle royale arena. Top executives have revealed the company is "pretty motivated" to develop a "linear" adaptation of the popular shooter, explicitly citing the massive success of Netflix's Cyberpunk: Edgerunners as the kind of impact they're hoping to replicate.
The comments came during EA's Q1 2026 earnings call, where CEO Andrew Wilson and Chief Studios Officer Laura Miele discussed the company's strategy for leveraging its core franchises. While Apex Legends continues to perform solidly, the spectre of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners – the critically acclaimed anime series that dramatically revitalized interest and player counts in CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 – loomed large.
"We're constantly looking at how we expand our biggest franchises into new mediums, new geographies, new modalities of play," stated Wilson. "With Apex Legends, we see tremendous potential beyond the game itself. The characters, the lore of the Outlands, the Titanfall universe it connects to – it's incredibly rich. We're actively exploring, and I would say pretty motivated, around the notion of a linear adaptation of Apex Legends."
Miele elaborated further, making the Edgerunners inspiration explicit: "Look at what Edgerunners did for Cyberpunk 2077. It was a phenomenal piece of content that not only told a great story but brought a massive audience back to the game and introduced it to entirely new players. That's the power of a well-executed adaptation. We believe Apex Legends, with its diverse roster of Legends and the high-stakes drama inherent in the Apex Games, has that same potential. We're in early stages, but it's a focus for the entertainment team."
The ambition is clear: harness the storytelling power of animation or live-action to deepen engagement with the Apex Legends brand, attract new fans, and ultimately drive players back to the core game. EA sees the success of Edgerunners not just as a happy accident, but as a replicable strategy for extending the lifespan and cultural footprint of a major live-service title.
Solid Foundation, But Room to Grow
The push for an adaptation comes as Apex Legends remains a crucial revenue driver for EA. The company recently highlighted strong performance across its sports titles and key live services in its latest financial disclosures. You can find more details on their recent earnings and strategic focus here: EA Sports, Apex Legends Sales Drive Electronic Arts Earnings.
However, like many live-service games navigating their fifth year, Apex Legends faces the constant challenge of maintaining player engagement and attracting new blood. While still boasting a dedicated player base, data trackers like SteamDB show fluctuations typical of the genre. Sustaining long-term concurrent user numbers is an ongoing effort, as seen in the historical charts: Apex Legends SteamDB Charts.
Challenges and Opportunities
Translating Apex Legends into a compelling linear narrative presents unique challenges. Unlike Cyberpunk 2077, which had a defined protagonist (V) and a central storyline, Apex revolves around its ever-growing roster of distinct Legends, each with their own backstories and motivations, set within the chaotic, ever-shifting context of the Apex Games themselves. Deciding on a focal point – a single Legend, a team, or an original character navigating the Games – will be crucial.
Furthermore, capturing the fast-paced, high-octane action and unique movement mechanics that define Apex gameplay in an animated or live-action format will require significant creative vision. The tone also needs consideration: balancing the inherent violence and high stakes of the Games with the character-driven humor and camaraderie that fans love.
The Edgerunners Effect
Despite the hurdles, the potential rewards are significant, as Edgerunners demonstrated. The anime didn't just boost Cyberpunk 2077's player count; it became a cultural phenomenon in its own right, winning awards and generating massive buzz. It proved that a well-crafted adaptation can transcend the game it's based on, becoming a powerful marketing tool and expanding the franchise's reach exponentially.
EA appears determined to capture that same lightning in a bottle for the Outlands. While no specific format (anime, CGI, live-action) or partner (streaming service, animation studio) was confirmed, the message from leadership is unambiguous: a linear Apex Legends story is a serious priority, driven by a clear desire to emulate the revitalizing success story of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Fans of the vibrant Apex universe can likely expect concrete developments on this front in the coming year.