A new duo of Apex Legends trailers have revealed the battle royale’s first big map change, and Respawn Entertainment’s renovations to the well-traveled Kings Canyon look fairly substantive. Though the game’s less-than-impressive inaugural season was inaptly titled Wild Frontier, Apex Legends Season 2 will transform the massive arena into something that seems truly primal and fresh.
Officially revealed (but long before leaked via data mining) during the EA Play event at this month’s E3 2019, Apex Legends’ second season’s most highly anticipated addition is Wattson, a novel and much-needed support Legend. The brilliant tinkerer will throw down her battlefield-altering devices among a slew of other popularly demanded changes, including a major overhaul of the game’s Battle Pass, new weapons like the explosive L-Star, a ranked playlist, and the inclusion of a number of Titanfall universe creatures that promise to change the way teams play. Though these are major changes, it seems that some of players’ wildest fantasies will remain unfulfilled this season.
Giving fans a double dose of gameplay and another of the game’s charming animated trailers, Respawn’s launch footage for Apex Legends Season 2 - dubbed Battle Charge - provides the best look at what changes are in store for King’s Canyon come July 2 that players have seen so far. As a result of a mysterious EMP (foreshadowed by developers’ cryptic placement of laptops presumably used to trigger the attack), the map’s long-useless Repulsor tower is destroyed, with its collapse simultaneously altering the surrounding area and letting in all of the offshore beasts that its repellent signals once kept at bay. These creatures, whose ranks include titanic Behemoths, aggressive Flyers, and more, will now pose a mortal threat to players who fail to keep their wits about them, and it appears that they may also be used to the tactical advantage of more savvy players.
As it is with all things Apex Legends, Respawn didn’t quite get the chance to share the trailers online first, having been beaten to the chase by leakers. On the game’s subreddit, user ChangeThisXBL uploaded both trailers together a few hours in advance of the Apex Legends developer’s official announcement. Rather than taking the wind of Respawn’s sails, however, this and other leaks really serve as a testament to dedicated players’ excitement for new content even in the face of the battle royale shooter’s recent dip in popularity.
Since Season 2’s reveal, Respawn has been pushing the refrain that “Kings Canyon will never be the same,” and Battle Charge is surely the first peek of many into how the Titanfall developer will continue to hone and shape their first foray into the live-service model. While its critical that the game be kept fresh and interesting for players who have stuck around since the beginning, it can be hoped that Respawn continues to honor the central design and gameplay philosophies that made Apex Legends a household name overnight earlier this year.
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Source: Apex Legends/YouTube, ChangeThisXBL/Reddit
