Apex Legends is in for the long haul. The game's developer, Respawn Entertainment, just opened a new studio in Madison, Wisconsin, and is looking to continue the Apex series for "another 10 to 15 years," according to game director Steven Ferreira.5 As someone who has never failed to answer the question, "Where do I see myself in a year?", I have nothing but admiration for his foresight. I admire his foresight.

In a chat with GamesIndustry.biz (opens in new tab), Respawn heavyweights Daniel Suarez, Ryan Burnett, and Ferreira said the Wisconsin studio will focus on developing Apex's live service: "Apex's live service building is a constant cycle of trying and experimenting with new things," Ferreira said, "and Wisconsin will give us that."

In particular, Ferreira cited things "like Legend Class" and things the studio has "never done [before]" as areas the new studio will focus on over the next 10+ years of Apex development.

To be clear, Ferreira is not necessarily saying that Apex Legends will last another 15 years. It could mean that they will continue to add new things to the already existing game, but it could also easily mean "Apex Legends 2," "Apex Legends 3," "Apex Legends 4," and so on.

For now, however, Apex Legends is the top priority, and Respawn seems to be taking a slow approach. We are taking the long view," Ferreira said, "We can't let everything get ahead of us, burn out, and sink the Apex series before it has a chance to grow."

For the time being, however, Respawn and its new studio seem to be focused on making Apex Legends accessible to new players." The game is getting much harder and it's much harder for new players to join the community," Ferreira said. In other words, "finding ways for players to play Apex the way they want to and have more options will also be developed in the coming seasons. But otherwise, Respawn is "looking far into the future, so we can't share (details)."