TOP STORY
Apex Legends Switch ‘a unique challenge’
Bringing battle royale hit Apex Legends to Switch presented a unique challenge to the veteran porting studio Panic Button.
“…you’re kind of trying to build an aircraft and land it on a moving aircraft carrier all at the same time,” said Dan Hernberg of Panic Button. The slightest change that Respawn makes to the ever-changing live game could have wide-reaching consequences for the Switch port.
Steady as she goes: Work on the port began about 15 months ago, around the time Apex Legends season four began. The biggest challenge has been figuring out how much they could actually adapt the game to Switch, and how much needed to stay exactly the same. There are also some new features exclusive to the Switch version, like gyroscopic aiming.
Going live: Apex Legends has been Panic Button's most demanding project to date according to Hernberg, and they will keep working on the port to ensure that future changes to the core game works well on Switch. If Respawn feels confident to handle the platform by themselves, they'll be happy to hand the port over – but for now, it looks like a steady hand is required.