Is Apex Legends Mobile’s Fade mobile only?

Will PC and console players be able to try the Phasing Punisher?

Screengrab via Respawn Entertainment

Apex Legends Mobile’s launch is accompanied by the release of Fade, the game’s initial “mobile-first” legend. Also known as the Phasing Punisher, Fade is a mobile offensive legend who can boost his own speed and movement potential while protecting his teammates from third parties or isolating enemies for elimination.

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While Fade will certainly make a splash in Apex Legends Mobile, fans and creators are wondering if he’ll ever come to the PC and console versions of Apex as a playable character. The Apex Legends Mobile website contains a blurb about “mobile-first” legends, which fueled speculation that characters who came to mobile first might eventually be playable on PC and console.

Will Fade ever come to PC and console versions of Apex?

Respawn Entertainment revealed that for the time being, Fade will not appear in console and PC versions of Apex Legends, meaning he will remain exclusive to Apex Legends Mobile. The development team currently has no plans to bring Fade to bigger screens, so fans who want to try out his abilities and playstyle will need to download the mobile title.

The reason behind Fade’s exclusivity comes down to design. While Fade was balanced against existing Apex characters, his abilities were designed with mobile screens and gameplay in mind. On a field of mobile legends, he’s on a fair playing field, but his abilities and numbers would need significant tweaking if the team wanted to bring him to PC and console.

Though there are no plans to bring Fade to PC and console at time of writing, it’s possible that could change in the future. It seems as though Respawn wants to leave the door open to crossovers between the two titles while keeping Apex Legends Mobile a fundamentally different experience than its PC and console siblings, so what happens down the road is any legend’s guess.

Author
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Emily Morrow
Emily is a staff writer covering Apex Legends, Overwatch, Pokemon, and general gaming for Dot Esports. Her other bylines include Digital Trends, Screen Rant, and GameSpew. She also works as a narrative designer in games. Get in touch with her on Twitter @thepokeflute.