Apex Legends’ season 17, “Arsenal,” begins on Might 9, bringing with it each a brand new character and a brand new (or, at the very least, noticeably remade) map. Followers have already met Ballistic, the brand new hero, however they solely know his lore, not his abilities, nor the broader gameplay modifications that help them. And the map, we’ve gotta say, does look good — with one massive focal point price exploring for Easter eggs in case you’re not getting shot at.
Right here’s every part confirmed on Monday in season 17’s first gameplay reveal — numerous this was leaked out earlier by the standard cadre of information miners. Ballistic is a giant a part of what’s coming to the free-to-play, hero shooter/battle royale, however there may be loads extra on the desk than a brand new face and lore to go together with him.
Who’s Apex Legends’ new character for season 17?
August Montgomery “Ballistic” Brinkman was already launched in a lore trailer on April 24 after which once more in a launch trailer on April 26. Throughout a media/influencer preview proven below embargo two weeks in the past, Ballistic’s backstory, as a flamboyantly deadly killer within the Thunderdome Video games (the Apex Video games’ forerunner) was revealed intimately. However we haven’t heard — formally anyway — in regards to the twenty fourth Legend’s gameplay traits.
So, right here they’re:
- Passive: Ballistic carries a Sling, which is successfully a 3rd weapon slot. The limitation is that this gun can not have any attachments; the bonus is, nicely, that’s tied into his Final.
- Tactical: That is known as The Whistler, and it’s each easy (a sensible bullet that tracks an enemy after locking on) and complex (all of the stuff that occurs after that). Ought to The Whistler strike its goal, they received’t undergo injury per se, however they undergo a debuff that overheats their weapon the extra it’s fired. If it overheats and blows up, they take injury from that. Moreover, if The Whistler truly misses, it leaves behind a space of impact, the place anybody getting into it would get the identical overheating debuff utilized to their weapons.
- Final: The Tempest turns Ballistic right into a one-man arsenal (therefore the nickname for season 17) buffing his teammates and himself tremendously: They acquire infinite ammunition, sooner reloads, and sooner armed-movement pace. And in regards to the Sling? The weapon there may be upgraded to its Gold model, making for some very attention-grabbing selections on what to hold in it.
Moreover, Ballistic is an Assault class legend — and below the category overhaul Apex Legends obtained final season (in lieu of a brand new character) meaning he could have the Assault perks. To remind you, these are:
• Open a secret compartment inside a pink Weapon Provide Bin, which provides Assault characters entry to gear and attachments that match their present loadouts
• Assault Legends can carry an additional stack of ammunition, per stock slot
Given his all-out assault type and formidable particular talents, Ballistic needs to be an especially dynamic character within the palms of those that love operating and gunning probably the most.
What’s the new map for Apex Legends season 17?
Although gamers don’t count on a brand new map each season, additionally they didn’t get one in season 16 as Respawn builders centered on bigger, structural modifications to the battle royale’s gameplay. With that work out of the way in which, they’re delivering each a brand new hero and a brand new map in season 17.
It’s a reasonably vital overhaul of World’s Edge, the sport’s second battle royale map (launched in season 3, throughout the sport’s first 12 months), and which final obtained an replace in season 10 (August 2021). World’s Edge is a resource-extraction colony on the planet Talus, riven by violent volcanic exercise.
The terraforming there had tried to chill World’s Edge’s lava flows to permit mining, however a malfunction in certainly one of its management towers left it a ghost city with many ruined buildings — i.e., an ideal place to stage the Apex Video games.
Nicely, apparently the lava flows have cooled on their very own, though not solely, permitting some additions and modifications whereas nonetheless leaving intact what followers love about World’s Edge. That begins with a few new factors of curiosity.
- Monument: That is basically a rework of the Fragment East focal point on the heart of the map, and it’s the largest change, by far, coming to World’s Edge. On the heart of Monument, beneath that rocket-like construction that appears like, nicely, a monument, is a glass-ceilinged Museum, devoted to the historical past of the Apex Video games. The Museum is actually a bunker POI, although it does have quick-access sniper positions on the high of the Monument. Moreover, the bunker’s glass ceiling (principally the ground of the Monument) will permit gamers to see inside, each to get a take a look at the reveals, however extra prone to get the drop on who fled down there, ostensibly to security.
- Stacks: This replaces Lava Metropolis within the southeast nook of the map, and stars the pink constructing below development, with ziplines at each ends, which was beforehand a Fragment landmark. Lava Metropolis takes its cues from that pink constructing, providing numerous vertical gameplay in addition to a number of interconnected rooftops.
Can you actually find out about Apex Legends’ historical past on the Museum?
The builders at Respawn say sure, you possibly can — each in-world and as a online game. The Museum is a well timed inclusion given Ballistic’s involvement with the little-discussed Thunderdome Video games, the Apex Video games’ predecessor. (The Thunderdome was a location on the King’s Canyon map, but it surely was destroyed three years in the past in season 5). The Museum will chart the lore behind the Apex Video games’ rise from the top of the mostly-underground Thunderdome Video games, all the way in which to current day. There can be a piece devoted to the unique legends in addition to one to Respawn’s growth of the sport, together with among the studio’s earliest design ideas.
What gameplay updates will Apex Legends get in season 17?
With season 16 so gameplay centered, Respawn stepped again in season 17 to offer gamers time to proceed to develop into an ever altering sport. However season 17 will introduce a Weapon Mastery system — a type of development that won’t reset every season. Any time gamers are combating with a weapon, they’ll be producing XP for that weapon, whether or not by dealing injury, getting kills, or utilizing sure options.
There are many account-level beauty unlocks on every weapon’s Mastery observe (badges, banner frames, efficiency trackers) but it surely all culminates in a legendary pores and skin for that gun as soon as gamers have totally mastered all of its challenges.
There may even be a second spherical of modifications and upgrades to Apex Legends’ Firing Vary, which obtained an replace in season 16 as Respawn moved to make the sport extra accessible to newcomers. AI fight dummies can now fireplace again at gamers coaching there, for starters. There’s a Duel Pit to permit them to observe combating one-on-one, and a Vert Course the place they’ll observe extra refined traversal strategies. The Fight Vary may even permit gamers to observe with each gun within the sport.
Lastly, updates to the sport’s well-known (and really helpful) ping wheel will enhance nonverbal communication amongst teammates, and a brand new “Evac Tower” will let gamers deploy a balloon (with sure tactical limitations) that lets gamers zipline up excessive and skydive out of a very furry firefight.
What’s within the season 17 battle move?
One other 100 levels of content unlocks await gamers in season 17. The battle move’ free observe contains the standard array of weapon skins (10) and Apex Cash (200), plus a Mad Maggie pores and skin, 4 loading screens, and the season 17 badge.
In fact, Respawn and EA really need people to purchase the premium battle move, which prices 900 Apex Cash (1,000 cash are $9.99) or a battle move bundle (2,800 Apex Cash, which requires a 2,000- and 1,000-coin bundle totaling $29.98).
Each the usual battle move and the bundle return sufficient Apex Cash to purchase the following season’s premium move. This season’s bundle, along with unlocking the primary (or subsequent) 25 ranges, provides gamers a Legendary pores and skin for Wattson known as “System Shock.”
When are Apex Legends season 17’s begin and finish dates?
Apex Legends season 17, “Arsenal,” goes reside at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Might 9. An finish date has not been introduced (most likely as a result of that will prematurely announce the beginning date of season 17) however the Might season of Apex Legends normally ends in early August.