After months of speculation, the cat’s finally out of the bag—Apex Legends 2.0 is real, and it’s about to usher in a brand-new era for the game. According to Thordan Smash, Yuro, and other reliable insiders, Apex Legends is officially moving away from the aging Source engine and making the jump to Unreal Engine—and yes, it’s coming as early as next year.
This isn’t just a new patch or balance update. This is the start of something massive.
Source Engine Is OUT – Unreal Engine Is IN
Respawn has reportedly decided to sunset the Titanfall-modified Source engine that Apex has run on since launch. And let’s be honest—it’s about time. Despite Apex being one of the smoothest-feeling shooters on the market, the Source engine has shown its cracks:
- Constant frame drops, lag, and crashes
- 120FPS support took forever to hit consoles
- Frequent hitreg and netcode issues
- Anti-cheat vulnerability due to shared code with Counter-Strike
Now with Unreal Engine coming in, these issues could soon be ancient history.
What Will Happen to Apex’s Movement?
One of the biggest concerns for longtime Players is simple: Will Movement still feel like Apex? According to Thoron Smash, there’s no need to panic. The advanced movement—like bunny hopping and tap-strafing—was ported over from Titanfall and can be reprogrammed into the new engine. It’s all about how the devs code it. So yeah, your sweaty movement tech isn’t going anywhere.
In fact, the new engine might allow Respawn to optimize movementeven further, creating a smoother experience on all platforms.
EA’s 3-Phase Plan for Apex Legends’ Future
In a recent EA fiscal Q&A, the company outlined a three-phase plan for Apex Legends:
- Short-Term Quality of Life Updates
Continued focus on anti-cheat, QoL, and core gameplay content for the current player base. - Mid-Term Apex Expansion (Post-Battlefield Release)
This is the juicy part—Apex Legends 2.0 as a “meaningful update” of the entire game experience. Think Season 28 or 29, potentially dropping in 2026. - Long-Term Vision
EA sees Apex as a 10-30 year franchise, with Apex 2.0 being the first step toward that vision. They even referred to the next big evolution as “Apex 2.0” in internal docs.
Why This Makes Sense Now
Let’s be real—EA learned the hard way from Titanfall 2’s tragic release, sandwiched between Battlefield and Call of Duty. They’re not making that mistake again. Apex 2.0 will get its own spotlight after the next Battlefield drops, giving it the space it needs to thrive.
Anti-Cheat and Server Fixes?
The Unreal switch should also finally give Apex a real shot at cleaning up its cheating problem. Since Apex used Source—the same engine as Counter-Strike—many cheats were easily ported. The new engine puts an end to that advantage.
Unfortunately, this won’t magically fix Apex’s servers or netcode—but the hope is that Respawn addresses those alongside the engine revamp.
Faster Content, Better Updates
One of the most exciting parts? Faster dev cycles. With a modern engine like Unreal, Respawn won’t have to fight their tools just to release skins or content. That means fewer bugs, faster patches, and way more consistency.
So yeah, maybe EA didn’t know what it was doing four months ago. Maybe the execs didn’t get the memo. But now? It’s happening—and Apex Legends 2.0 is going to be the evolution we’ve all been waiting for.
Stay up to date on all things Apex at ALegends.gg
Source:
Thordan Smash – YouTube
Frequently Asked Questions about Apex Legends 2.0 and Unreal Engine
Is Apex Legends switching to Unreal Engine?
Yes, Apex Legends 2.0 is reportedly moving to Unreal Engine, which should drastically improve performance, anti-cheat systems, and development speed.
Will Apex movement feel the same on Unreal Engine?
Yes. Movement mechanics like bunny hopping and tap-strafing can be reprogrammed in Unreal Engine. The devs are expected to preserve the core feel of Apex.
When will Apex Legends 2.0 be released?
The major update is planned post-Battlefield launch, likely around Season 28 or 29, which points to sometime in 2026.
Why is EA making this change now?
Apex has been showing its age, and performance issues have become more common. EA finally acknowledged the need to modernize Apex with a long-term plan.
Will this fix Apex’s server issues?
Not directly. The engine upgrade should improve the game overall, but server improvements and netcode updates need to be addressed separately.
How will Unreal Engine affect cheat detection?
Unreal makes it harder for hackers to port over cheats from other games, especially those built on Source. This could improve Apex’s anti-cheat defenses.
