Electronic Arts is releasing Respawn Entertainment's battle royale shooter “Apex Legends”, the new season “UPHEAVAL” will start.
This season, a new Legend “ALTER” will be introduced for the 26th year, and major changes will be made to the map “BROKEN MOON”. In addition, there is a lot of content, including the re-appearance of the limited-time mode “Solo Mode”.
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In this article, we will report on the media session held in April. We will introduce not only information about the new legends you are interested in, but also the contents of various changes.
The new legend is “Alter”, a being from another dimension!
The 26th new legend added in “UPHEAVAL” is “ALTER”. He is a dimensional traveler who came from another dimension, and according to the development team, he is a “very chaotic being.''
The released trailer uses Cantonese and is the first Legend character to appear with a Chinese background. ALTER doesn't talk much about his past or who he is, and is shrouded in many mysteries. He knows that knowledge is power, and seems willing to manipulate and take advantage of those around him.
Also, what I'm most curious about is its appearance and its relationship with the legend “Horizon”. According to the development team, it is more like an “obsession” than a “relationship”, and although they cannot reveal the details at this time, the setting is such that users will be surprised as they are revealed.
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◆Ability to use
ALTER's class is Skirmisher. In battle, they have the ability to move using portals and create special fields that can gather allies.
・Tactical ability “VOID PASSAGE”
An ability that creates portals that pass through walls and ceilings. After warping, there is a little bit of safe time, and it seems that you can check your surroundings.
・Passive ability “GIFT FROM THE RIFT”
An ability that allows you to access the Death Box through walls. You can obtain one item other than the shield core from the death box accessed with this ability.
・Ultimate ability “VOID NEXUS”
Ability to create a gathering point that can be controlled remotely by the entire team. First, you set up a device, and your team members, including yourself, can use it remotely to warp to that location and gather together. However, traces of using warp in abilities will remain.
According to the development, it seems to be compatible with legends such as the combination of Bloodhound with scanning ability and “VOID PASSAGE”, and Lifeline that can easily recover and revive when gathered in “VOID NEXUS”.
Limited time mode “Solo mode” is back!
This season, the limited-time mode “Solo Mode” that was introduced in 2019 will be revived. It is a battle royale in which 50 people can participate, and each player has a resurrection item “Respawn Token” that can be used until the 4th round (if it is not consumed until the 4th round, it will be converted to EVO points).
In addition, it has abilities for this mode such as “Battle Sense” which notifies you if there is an enemy within 50 meters, and “Automatic Healing” which recovers your health when you leave the battle or defeat an enemy. The ring size has also been adjusted, allowing you to experience the unique way of playing in solo mode.
As for the reason for the re-introduction of this mode, the developers say that the gameplay of Apex Legends has evolved since 2019, and now that player skills have improved, they want to offer a “solo mode.”
However, he emphasized that “Apex Legends'' is a team-playing game, and the core of the game will not change. We also understand that users are always looking for new ways to play, and we look forward to receiving a variety of feedback through this mode.
The map “Broken Moon” has been updated!
This season, the map[Broken Moon]will be revamped. During the previous season, “Breakout'', there was news footage showing that Olympus collided with a moon satellite, and as a result, it seems that a major change occurred in “Broken Moon''.
Spots such as the Promenade, Atmostation Station, and Terraformer have been severely damaged, and the vegetation and atmospheric conditions have changed throughout the map. In addition, alien eggs were also discovered among the space debris generated by this accident, and protective bubbles have been placed in consideration of the danger.
Many POIs have been updated and added within the map to increase engagement and make them easier to access. The battles seem to be very fast-paced and thrilling, especially near the isolation zone in the center of the map.
In addition, nearly 20 new POIs have appeared in areas outside the isolation zone. In addition to the zip rails that travel around the area, access to each area and route construction have also been greatly improved, making the map easy to enjoy for both casual players and veterans.
Regarding the new[Broken Moon]the development team has also introduced the image of an “alien world”. They are particular about small POIs, and you can feel the changes not only in the map but also in the world view, so please feel free to take a look around.
About meta changes and ranked matches
◆Rank match
In the previous season “Breakout”A completely revamped ranked match systemIt has received many positive comments from users. This season, we will continue to implement various adjustments and countermeasures against cheating, and hope that more players will be able to enjoy exciting ranked matches that will satisfy them.
Regarding the reset of the ranked season, players who have passed the Rookie rank will start at “Bronze 4”. Additionally, ranked season rewards are earned based on the highest rank reached in the season (can be earned even if demoted, except for Predators).
◆Changes to weapons and routes
This season, Devotion will be added to Care Package weapons, Wingman will be changed to a normal root weapon, and the performance of each will be adjusted. As a result of this change, the hop-up “Boosted Loader” will reappear. In addition, it seems that adjustments will be made to the longbow.
It has also been revealed that an in-game change will no longer require the action of “grabbing a friend's banner'' when accessing a friend's death box.
◆Legend update
Regarding the new system “Legend Upgrade” added from the previous season, some legends will be updated. In addition to explaining that major changes will be made to Crypto, Newcastle, and Catalyst, the session also introduced Fuse, Octane, and Bloodhound.
It has also been revealed that changes will be made to Ash's tactical ability, Arc Snare.
◆Apex artifacts can now be customized!
Melee item that all legends can equipApex artifacts” can now be customized. Special materials are required for customization, but you can freely choose from multiple themes, and you will also be able to use unique emotes.
A battle pass for the new season has also been released. In addition to legends including alters, you can also get 30-30 repeater skins and more.
Joint media Q&A
–What kind of legend upgrade is ALTER?
ALTER isFirst added legend since implementation of legend upgradeis. Therefore, the content is such that the legend's play pattern is not fixed. Recon and cooldown reduction after tactical abilities are available.
–Are there any changes to Broken Moon's zip rail?
There are no changes to the zip rail mechanics. However, new POIs have been added to the revamped Broken Moon, and the layout has changed significantly. I would like you to play it yourself and see for yourself.
–What is the auto-recovery ability in solo mode?
In terms of recovery content, it's on par with some of the past events that have taken place in Apex Legends. In non-combat mode, recovery begins when the countdown reaches 0, and recovery also occurs when you defeat an enemy.
This was necessary to improve the play feel when playing solo mode. Of course, there are recovery items in the game, so you can play normally instead of just relying on automatic recovery.
–How many times can ALTER's ultimate ability be used after activation?
Each teammate can use it once when activated. After using a remote device, enemies can also use it, although there is a time limit, so it is important to cooperate with your teammates.
――We already have Wraith and Ash as legends who use portals, but what was the reason for adding ALTER?
As a development team, we believe that VOID is a very unique technology, including the background of the game. We had been doing a lot of testing regarding portals even before ALTER.
This time, ALTER's “VOID PASSAGE” seems to add some interesting changes from a gameplay perspective, such as counter attacks. On top of that, I think we were able to create a good backstory for ALTER.
–Can I play solo mode in a private lobby?
At the time of release, we did not think about such things. Solo mode is a limited time event and also serves as a playtest. However, if there are many requests from users, we will consider it, and it may be added.
–Have you ever thought about incorporating the auto recovery from solo mode into normal mode?
It might be interesting to see such a limited mode appear on mixtapes. However, I have never thought of incorporating the system into the regular battle royale rules.
–Are there any plans to implement Apex Rumble (Beta) in-game leaderboards in other modes?
There's not much I can say right now, but the leaderboards in Apex Rumble will remain. Regarding other developments, we are still waiting to see.
–Is there any possibility that ranked matches for solo mode will be implemented?
I don't have any plans like that at the moment. The solo mode is a large test element, so please play in the limited time event first.
――Can you take a friend's banner with ALTER's passive ability “GIFT FROM THE RIFT”?
You can't take the banner. It is also impossible to remove the shield core. If you can take the shield core, it will become too strong. By the way, the effective range is about 75M.
–Are there any plans for a dynamic weather change system?
The development team has considered introducing a dynamic weather system, but I think it's difficult at the moment due to technical issues with servers and other issues. However, we are planning to make major changes to the map environment each season, so please look forward to those changes in the future.
The new season of “Apex Legends” “UPHEAVAL” is scheduled to start on May 7, 2024 local time.