What Is Apex Legends? Legends, Squads and How It Plays

Apex Legends is a free-to-play Hero Shooter from Respawn Entertainment, published by Electronic Arts, on Steam since November 4, 2020.

VERIFIED Source: Steam store page (appid 1172470), checked 2026-10-16

The official description describes legendary characters with powerful abilities teaming up to battle for fame and fortune on the fringes of the Frontier.

VERIFIED Source: Steam store page (appid 1172470), checked 2026-10-16

The store page describes deep tactical squad play and bold new innovations that go beyond the Battle Royale experience.

VERIFIED Source: Steam store page (appid 1172470), checked 2026-10-16

A Blood Pact event was announced on the official news feed on October 13, 2026, alongside an anti-cheat update on October 9, 2026.

VERIFIED Source: Steam official news feed (appid 1172470), checked 2026-10-16

The pitch

Apex Legends is described as a free-to-play Hero Shooter where legendary characters with powerful abilities team up to battle for fame and fortune on the fringes of the Frontier.

It is developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts, and it has been on Steam since November 4, 2020.

The official description positions it as the next evolution of Hero Shooter rather than a pure battle royale.

It supports 14 languages and is Windows-only on Steam.

The current season on the store page is titled Apex Legends: Marked.

Legends and why the roster matters

You master an ever-growing roster of diverse Legends rather than a single fixed character.

Each Legend carries powerful abilities, which means your pick changes how the squad can approach a fight.

Because the roster keeps growing, returning players regularly face Legends they have never played against.

The official description emphasises mastering characters over unlocking them - ability use is the skill ceiling.

Squad composition is therefore part tactical choice and part ability-combination puzzle.

Squad play and tactical depth

The description singles out deep tactical squad play as a core pillar.

Apex is built around squads rather than solo play, which is why the hero-shooter framing matters more here than pure aim.

Innovations beyond the battle royale format mean the game is not limited to one mode shape.

Because abilities interact with positioning, a squad that communicates can convert an ability advantage into map control.

The free-to-play model means the entry cost is time spent learning Legends rather than money.

The in-game economy, briefly

The store page includes a disclosure that the game contains optional in-game purchases of virtual currency, which can acquire virtual items including a random selection of them.

Unused Apex Coins expire 180 days after the date they are acquired or purchased.

The oldest Apex Coins subject to expiration are always used first when making in-game purchases.

Apex Packs purchases are not available in Belgium.

Those three rules - expiry, oldest-first spending and the Belgium restriction - are the practical details most players ask about.

What is happening in late 2026

The official news feed is the reliable record of live content.

A Blood Pact event was announced on October 13, 2026.

The same day saw an AMA about Wildcard, suggesting an active developer conversation around a feature or mode.

An update from the Anti Cheat Team was posted on October 9, 2026, alongside a general game update the same day.

Regular dated patches appear on the feed - another Apex Legends update was logged on October 8, 2026.

How it compares to other hero shooters

Squad size is three, which makes every pick a larger proportion of the team than in a six-player format.

Because the game extends beyond battle royale, ability design is not tied to a single mode's pacing.

Apex's economy rules are unusually explicit on the store page - the Coin expiry window is stated plainly rather than buried.

Free-to-play plus optional purchases means you can evaluate the game before spending anything.

If you play Marvel Rivals, the main difference is scale and emphasis: six-hero teams with Team-Up pairings versus three-player squads built on individual mastery.

Platform, language and access

Apex Legends has been on Steam since November 4, 2020 and is Windows-only on that storefront.

14 languages are supported, and the download is free - the store page marks it as free to play with optional purchases.

The free-to-play asterisk in the description refers to those optional in-game purchases of virtual currency.

The game is developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts.

Because it is free, the practical entry cost is the time it takes to learn the Legend roster and squad pacing.

Following the live schedule

The official news feed is where events and patches are dated, and the October 2026 entries show a steady cadence.

A Blood Pact event was announced on October 13, 2026.

The same day carried an AMA about Wildcard, which signals a developer conversation around a specific feature.

An update from the Anti Cheat Team was published on October 9, 2026, alongside a general game update the same day.

Another Apex Legends update was logged on October 8, 2026 - roughly weekly activity rather than a seasonal-only rhythm.

What to expect over your first weeks

Expect to spend early sessions learning what each Legend's abilities actually do, because squad play rewards knowing your teammates' tools.

Expect a steady patch cadence rather than seasonal silence - October 2026 alone saw updates on the 8th, 9th and 13th.

Expect the anti-cheat team to publish updates, as they did on October 9, 2026.

Expect developer conversations rather than only patch notes: an AMA about Wildcard ran on October 13, 2026.

Expect the free-to-play structure to keep the barrier low, with optional purchases and the coin rules described earlier applying only if you choose to buy.