“What engine does Apex Legendsuse?” is an understandable question to be asking, as the game looks like a cross between Titanfall and Borderlands, combining realistic textures with cartoony effects. It’s really quite unique in its presentation, enabling good-looking visuals without the need to trade-in performance. PC, PS4, and Xbox One are all treated to frame-rate targets of 60 FPS minimum, which is ideal for a fast-paced shooter like this. The mystery of the Apex Legends is really no mystery at all, as it uses the Source Engine, only tweaked and configured with the enhancements needed to make it competitive in 2019. Here’s what you need to know about the Apex Legends engine.
Does Apex Legends use the Source Engine?
You already have your answer! What engine does Apex Legends use? The Source Engine! However, as mentioned above, it has been configured in such a way that it looks unrecognizable to other games running on the same engine. Despite the aging Source Engine powering it, Apex Legends is still able to run at a more than acceptable level. Some stutter can rear its ugly head on occasion, but otherwise, it’s a mostly smooth experience on consoles and most gaming PC configurations.
With Apex Legends, it’s clear that the Source Engine is nearing its limit. There is only so far that the devs can push this engine before it has reached its maximum potential. What with battle royale being a demanding genre with large maps and vast player counts, the cracks are beginning to show.
Whereas other battle royale games have made use of the Unreal Engine, Respawn Interactive has stuck with Source, which was previously used to make Titanfall 2. Sometimes it’s easier to stick with a familiar tried-and-tested engine, than to try and build a new game in a brand new engine.