A new trailer for Apex Legends quickly carved a path for itself in the crowded battle royale scene with its surprise launch in 2019. However, as the genre continues to change, developer Respawn seems to be moving in a different direction for the game.
Season 8, titled Mayhem, introduced the new legend Fuse, the 30-30 Repeater and a redesigned map for King’s Canyon. Season 9, titled Legacy, will introduce the new Legend, Valkyrie. Valkyrie is another direct link between Apex Legends and the Titanfall series. She is the daughter of a pilot who retrofitted her father’s old Titan into a wearable flight suit. Respawn’s animated series, Stories From the Outlands, has explored the shared universe between both game franchises, leading many to believe that Titanfall will return sooner rather than later.
In the trailer shared on the Apex Legends Legends can still be revived or use their abilities in this mode, but there are no respawns.
Accompanying this season is a new weapon called the Bocek Bow. This bow can deal a high level of damage at medium range and can shoot multiple projectiles or draw faster with Hop-Ups. The Bocek Bow seems to fall into the same vein as other midrange weapons like the G7 Scout or the Hemlok AR. However, what ammo type the bow will use is unclear as it was not shown in the trailer.
Apex Legends seems to be setting itself up for life after battle royales with its new Arenas mode. While Fortnite and PUBG are still incredibly popular, it is clear that innovation is needed to keep the genre fresh. However, Apex brings new strategies, content and lore with each major update, keeping players invested throughout the season. It will be interesting to see what Respawn does next as the developer looks to expand the world of Apex Legends even further.
Apex Legends is free to play on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
