Respawn Entertainment, the development studio behind Apex Legends, continues to show its support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Coinciding with the start of Black History Month 2021, the team is now offering a free Black Lives Matter badge to all Apex Legends players who log into the game.
This new badge won’t come as a surprise to dedicated players. Back in July of 2020, Respawn posted a very clear message in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Upon logging into Apex Legends, players were presented with a message calling for unity and an end to discrimination.
New message when you load up Apex Legends. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/uU0FkqvlB4
— Apex Legends News (@alphaINTEL) June 6, 2020
The new Black Lives Matter badge comes hot on the heels of 2020, a tumultuous year headlined by violence, social unrest, and outrage over racial injustice. And while some may have lost sight of these issues in a sea of messy political news and the ongoing pandemic, Respawn felt it was important to continue promoting unity and understanding among the player base.
These concerns also hit home for Tim Lewinson, development director for Apex Legends. Back in September, Lewinson spoke with Robin Hunicke on The AIAS Game Maker’s Notebook podcast. There he mentioned how publisher Electronic Arts encouraged the team to show their support for the movement.
“As a black man, I am really pleasantly and cautiously optimistic and surprised at how well the leadership team has responded to Black Lives Matter,” Lewinson said. “When you see the leaders where you are, [people who] are willing to get in front of everybody and say black lives matter, [and] dive in without any hesitation, that’s powerful. And it’s not performative, it’s real.”
Working together with this team, creating this in-game badge to honour the fight for #BlackLivesMatter as part of Apex Legends has been one of the BEST experiences of my career.
I'm proud to work with accomplices, not just allies. #BHM pic.twitter.com/yMgX9cgY3m
— Himothy 🇯🇲 🇨🇦 (@VancouverTim) February 2, 2021
Now, Apex Legends players themselves can help promote awareness and put an end to racial discrimination. To get the Black Lives Matter badge for yourself, simply log in to the game and claim it as a free reward.
