Respawn Entertainment Delays Apex Legends Chinatown Market Due to Company Rebranding

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Respawn Entertainment Delays Apex Legends Chinatown Market Due to Company Rebranding

Abhimannu Das
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  • Apex Legends and Chinatown Market's crossover event has been delayed due to backlash from the AAPI community.
  • Chinatown Market will be rebranding itself in the coming months, after which the crossover event will take place.
  • The event was scheduled to originally commence on March 30th but it has been indefinitely postponed.

Respawn Entertainment is overhauling the promised Chinatown Market crossover in Apex Legends after the clothing brand announced a rebranding. Chinatown Market decided to rebrand itself due to feedback received from the Asian American community. The company received backlash from a part of the community due to its name. Apex Legends’ Chinatown Market event will now be completely rebranded and the skins will be reworked. The event was scheduled to launch on March 30 but fans will now have to wait for a new release date. Many Apex Legends and Chinatown Market fans have agreed that the change is a step in the right direction. 

What Does the Move Mean for Apex Legends and Chinatown Market’s Crossover Event?

On March 16, 2021, a series of mass shootings occurred at three spas or massage parlours in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Eight people were killed, six of whom were Asian women, and one other person was wounded. It led to widespread protests throughout the US in the wake of the rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans. Part of the AAPI [Asian American Pacific Islander] was unhappy with Chinatown Market’s branding which led to the company choosing to rebrand itself. 

Chinatown Market revealed that its name was inspired by the shops, people, and vibrance of Canal Street and Chinatown in New York but agreed with the Asian American community that it is not a name the brand can rightfully use. The company shared in a tweet “We did not do enough to consider what this name would mean to communities in Chinatowns across the world and we need to take ownership of this mistake. It's time to do the right thing and we are committed to be a part of the change."

A name change will be announced in the coming months and all proceeds from the existing Chinatown Market-branded products will be donated to AAPI [Asian American Pacific Islander]. The name change came as a surprise to EA and Respawn Entertainment with some of the Apex Legends’ Chinatown Market crossover skins being recently announced. 

The crossover event will still be happening but there is no release date just yet. Respawn shared Chinatown Market’s statement on the recent change which revealed that it is “deeply saddened and horrified by the increase in racist attacks and violence on the AAPI community. We encourage everyone in our community to be a part of this change with us. The hate, racism and violence directed at the Asian community has to be stopped.” 

RELATED:  The Apex Legends Backstory Explained: The Key Lore That Newbies Must Know


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Abhimannu is a PC esports writer at AFK Gaming. With over seven years of experience in esports journalism, he has worked on a myriad of games and their ecosystems including Valorant, Overwatch and Apex Legends.

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