Respawn announced that the Apex Legends cross-play beta will be available next week. After months of waiting, players from any platform may now queue with one another.
Apex Legends cross-play news came out several months ago. But recently, rumors of its arrival has been around in social media sites such as Reddit. This time, it is official that cross-play will be available starting October 6.
According to Chad Grenier, game director of Apex Legends, cross-play is here, and “we’d love to see you partying up with your friends across PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.”
Get revved up for the Aftermarket Collection Event. Take part in the cross-play beta, dive into the new “Flashpoint” LTM, take on challenges to earn exclusive rewards, and more! It’s going to be a hell of a ride! 😎
Speed off into the Aftermarket Collection Event starting Oct 6. pic.twitter.com/iwEDkX1i9U
— Apex Legends (@PlayApex) October 1, 2020
How cross-play works in Apex Legends?
Respawn stated that cross-play is one of the most requested features for the game. This gives PC players the chance to play with or against their friends from other platforms and vice-versa.
However, this game mode might not be final yet. The data gathered during this beta test shall be used to determine whether it is a viable option for the game in the long run.
That being said, here is how cross-play works:
- Players from all platforms may be able to play together. This includes the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Steam players may join the game once it launches on the client.
- It is on by default. Players who want to opt-out of the beta program may do so through the game settings. Xbox players must do it in the system settings.
- Players may now search and add friends from a different platform.
- The friend’s list will now indicate which platform a player is in. It shows the icon of PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
- A different notification pops up whenever a cross-platform invite is initiated. Players of the same platform will have regular notifications.
- In-game voice chat is possible.
- There is no cross-progression available yet.
Speaking of settings, Respawn stated that all platforms may disable cross-play in the settings menu. However, queue times might be longer as players will have cross-play on by default.
If they are unaware that there is a setting to turn it off, they will end up with cross-play enabled all throughout.
How does the matchmaking work?
There is an advantage for console players who use aim assists when playing. At the same time, PC players have the advantage of mouse precision.
That being said, Respawn laid out the mechanics for the upcoming matchmaking.
- All console players will play together. But, if a PC player is on a squad, then the queue goes to the PC platform. This ensures that console players stay together and do not have a random PC player in the server.
“We hope you all enjoy this great feature that we’re all excited to be rolling out,” Respawn said.
Apex Legends cross-play players are encouraged to post their feedback on social media for further improvements.
Images used courtesy of Apex Legends/EA, Melanie These/Unsplash