Respawn Entertainment
Apex Legends Heats Up for Season 22; Everything Coming to Shockwave
Season 22, Shockwave arrives next August 6.
Apex Legends is all set for its 22nd season, called Shockwave. Before it goes to the battlefield, we were present at a virtual presentation of all the changes that this season will bring, which stands out for its new map.
All the new features of Apex Legends: Shockwave
Battle Pass changes
One of the first topics to be discussed was the controversial change that the Battle Pass has undergone in recent days. This change has been reversed and everything is back to normal and can be purchased with only 950 Apex Coins. Also, according to Game Director Steve Ferreira, many players did not complete the 110 levels of the pass, nor did they equip much of what they ended up unlocking. As a result, the Pass will be reduced to 60 levels with a more player-friendly selection of rewards. Along with this, and as a way to showcase the new Battle Pass system by adding “some easy challenges,” the Premium Battle Pass will be half-price.
Welcome to the new map: E-District
E-District will be the 6th map to arrive in Apex Legends, a place that Eduardo Agostini, World Director, describes as “the culmination of 5 years of learning”. The map is an urban area with a lot of verticality, large neon buildings with a multi-layered architecture that demands freedom of movement for the player. Even though it is a city inspired by Eastern cultures, we tried to create a multicultural city with a post-cyberpunk feel.
The map has several focal points, such as the Street Market, which is designed to encourage melee combat. On the one hand, there is Neon Square, an area inspired by Shibuya, Tokyo, with a high density of buildings. On the other hand, there is Lotus, which is an area of luxury buildings with rooftop combat.
The map also includes new elements such as the Gravity Launchers, which are based on the Gravity Cannons, but in a more compact version, allowing users to jump from one side to the other, both horizontally and vertically.
Changes in the battlefield
There is a new battleground, but there are also certain tweaks and changes coming this season that take advantage of all that has been learned over the past 21 seasons to keep Shockwave energized. New game modes, quality-of-life improvements, and more are all part of this season:
- Resurrection changes: Players who are killed in combat will now be able to resurrect more easily. As long as one of their teammates is in combat, a counter will appear near them to resurrect them. If these players are dealing damage or even killing enemy teams, the wait will be much shorter.
- Know Your Enemy: Players within a certain distance will now be able to see the energy bar of their enemies to see how much damage they have done. However, if there is a smoke bomb or wall, your enemy’s position will not be revealed, so you will need to keep an eye on the battlefield.
- More loot: Midway through the game, loot bins are refilled, allowing you to acquire or recover weapons. To spice up the game, new special bins have been added, a golden one and a mythical one, which guarantee better weapons.
Improving weapons
There are also new ways to use and balance weapons.
- Akimbo: One of the features the team has been wanting to implement for a long time. Now we will be able to use two P2020 or Mozambique guns to attack at the same time. If one has an attachment, the other will automatically have it.
- LMGs with Shield: Light Machine Guns now get a little more help in the form of a small frontal shield that absorbs a total of 40 damage.
- More consistent shotguns: Weapons like the Mastiff and Peacekeeper will see some changes, with granularity going down, but getting more power to compensate. The pattern in which these pellets are fired will also change.
- Aim Assist: The strength of Aim Assist on controllers will be reduced by 25% for those playing on PC with controls, a decision made after analyzing player feedback and testing.
Season 22: newcomers welcome
One of the topics discussed was how to make the game more accessible to new players and help them improve their skill level. To that end, the Respawn team added the following:
- Welcome Pass and Welcome Challenges: The Welcome Pass offers seven days of challenges that “support and strengthen skills essential to surviving and thriving in encounters. This pass will only be available to new players who create an account when Shockwave goes live. The challenges will give players access to starting legends, as well as some cosmetics, materials, and coins.
- Bot Royale: Undoubtedly one of the most exciting modes. This new mode is a faster and smaller version of the original Battle Royale, where all the enemies are bots. You can play with friends or alone to face these bots and start a quieter experience to test legends or practice your moves, techs and so on. This mode will be available to all players and will replace the orienteering matches.
Apex Legends: Shockwave will be available on August 6th.