Apex Legends: Seven things to know to get yourself ready for Shockwave, the all-new season
8.6.2024
By Diego Nicolás Argüello, Contributor
Ahead of the launch of Apex Legends on the Epic Games Store as well as Shockwave itself, we attended a digital briefing by the team to learn more about what to expect from the new season. Aside from the aforementioned additions, there are quite a few tweaks to the base game that will have a significant impact in the short-to-long term, from an updated season pass to new combat visibility options. We've gathered all of the details below to get you up to speed with the news before you jump into the game.
First off, an update on the Battle Pass
At the start of July, EA announced that the Premium and Premium+ tiers of the Apex Legends Battle Pass would be exclusive to real-life currency. That meant that you couldn't get them using Apex Coins. This has since been reverted, as announced by the publisher on social media, along with some additional details.
If you're jumping back into the game for season 22 and want a summary of the changes to seasonal goodies, here's a recap. For starters, yes, you're able to get the Premium Battle Pass for 950 Apex Coins. For season 22 specifically, you'll be able to get your hands on the Premium Battle Pass by completing a series of in-game challenges, which will encompass what Respawn calls Split 1.
Split 2, which kickstarts on September 17th, will feature the expected Premium Battle Pass. As per usual, progressing through the Battle Pass nets you Apex Coins, which you can then use to purchase future passes. The team has also tweaked the challenges to try to make it easier to complete its 60 levels and earn all of those tasty rewards.
Trios Revival is a new fast-paced mode
If you've recently played Fortnite's Reload mode, where you can revive after a cooldown as long as one of your teammates is still on their feet, Apex Legends is now introducing its iteration of the concept. Revival will allow you and your teammates to get back into the fray while your squadmates are still alive. There's a timer for it, and you can only come back to life until the fourth ring. But if you often get frustrated by a miscalculation at the beginning of a match that puts you back into the lobby, Revival will offer a significant change of pace.
Keep in mind that your respawn timer will increase with each round and death. If you and another teammate are down at the same time, you'll respawn together with the earlier timer of the two. On the ground, your living teammates can speed up the timer by acting aggressively, taking down enemies, and doing damage. This encourages folks to stay active and act quickly to reassemble the team once more.
Revival will first debut in Trios, but the developer said it will also be available for Straight Shot shortly after launch with the first event of the season.
E-District is the new Apex Legends map
Feeling homesick after reaching the credits of Cyberpunk 2077? Apex's new map E-District might scratch that Night City itch. This vibrant and sprawling playground is packed with things to find and cover to use to your advantage.
First off, there are gravity launchers placed around the map. These allow you to quickly jump over great distances in just a few seconds. Some act like jump pads that can promptly take you from the streets to a rooftop, making for a great retreat option. Others will send you off in a specific direction. Considering how mobility is one of the game's core mechanics, the gravity launchers only increase the possibilities.
There are quite a few promising points of interest as well. For example, the stadium is made out of a makeshift settlement that's great for close-quarter combat encounters and cat-and-mouse situations, while the street market is filled with neon signs and quirky vendor shops with references to the game's universe.
New Battle Sense additions
Apex Legends is a competitive shooter through and through, and it can be hard to keep track of everything in your surroundings unless you have hundreds of hours of playtime. The updates to Battle Sense introduced in Shockwave are sure to help, though.
There are two features: You'll now be able to see enemy health bars (temporarily) as long as they're in your line of sight (meaning that they aren't behind cover or smoke, for example). You'll also be able to see highlights that appear while you're dealing damage to a foe. The highlight is red, making enemies easier to spot against the landscape.
Did anyone say Akimbo?
To those who always wanted to dual-wield weapons, your moment has come. Starting with Shockwave, you'll now be able to use two P2020s or two Mozambiques during the season. If you get either weapon and you find a matching pair, interact with it to activate Akimbo mode.
As for how this works in practice, Akimbo benefits from automatic firing as well as increased rate of fire. Attachments are mirrored on the second weapon, but do bear in mind that optics will be disabled. The usual aim down sights is replaced by tightening the weapons' hipfire spread; magazine size is (of course) doubled, but reload times are slower as a result.
Bot Royale is a new way to practice your skills
Fancy practicing a bit to learn a few new movements or refresh on past strategies? Bot Royale allows you to team up with either other players or bots to battle enemy bots in a match. This replaces the previous orientation matches in the game, and in case this isn't clear, it's not meant for high-level players. If you're just starting out, you'll earn experience. But for the most part, don't expect to use this mode to complete challenges, but instead to further hone your skills.
There's now a Welcome Pass for newcomers
Speaking of Bot Royale, there's an excellent use case for it if you're a new player. Every Apex Legends account made after the arrival of Shockwave will be eligible to complete the Welcome Pass. In short, you can expect a series of in-game challenges that are meant to teach you the ropes. You can tackle them in Bot Royale as well as regular Battle Royale modes, unlocking additional sets of challenges as you progress. Doing so will net you with cosmetic rewards as well as Legend Tokens, which you'll be able to use to unlock a Legend of your choice upon completion.
Apex Legends is now available to play for free on the Epic Games Store. Make sure to check out our deep dive into the birth, evolution, and future of Apex Legends to catch up.