Apex Legends releases its Season 27 update next Tuesday, November 4, and RPS has provided an overview of its biggest retooling job yet. I have not tested this megapatch, unlike Season 25From my experience, I can't tell you how any of these changes can kill you. However, since it changes my favorite card, my favorite gaming legend, And my favorite hovercar, I feel like a unique person who can say without evidence whether they are good or not.
There are no new characters or weapons in this game, although it arguably plays to Apex Legends' strengths by making two of the most mobile legends more mobile – and tempting one of the more sedentary defenders to step in. REDSEC Battlefield (perhaps notably, EA stablemate) past seasonal updates based on movement and aggression, were usually among the best in ApeLegs. Can Season 27 succeed again? Let's look at it line by line.
Olympus map updates
Somers University – Built by Horizon to explore the mysteries of the universe and to honor its son Newton, Somers University replaces the Orbital Cannon and brings bold architecture and high-rise elevators to Olympus. Relics from the crash site, giving insight into the mysteries of this Olympus, can be seen here.
Aside from the soul-blackening implications of designing a university around shootings, I can understand this. The flatness of the Orbital Cannon makes for a boring battlefield, and I love the trio of leaning buildings that form a pointy fortress at the center of the new layout.
Gravity drive – Olympus' new beating heart, the Gravity Engine, replaces the Energy Depot and harnesses the power of Brantium to keep the city afloat. Elevators, ziplines and verticality collide with each other, making this point of interest the next hot spot on Olympus.
Ah well, they blew up one of the best parts of Olympus. Energy Depot wasn't flashy, but easily provided a fun mix of point-blank chaos and sniper-friendly vantage points, with a hidden catwalk section where tense cat-and-mouse chases regularly took place as weakened survivors escaped the carnage above. It looks like the Gravity Engine still serves as a risky connection for traveling teams, although that's a lot of eco-mobility gimmicks to cram into what already sounds like yet another meat grinder.
Stabilizer – This platform in the sky replaces the docks and is responsible for the correct alignment of Olympus. Floating rocks from the planet below provide a path to its external ballast structure.
A large ring replaces another large ring. Docks have always been a give and take: rich in loot, but also too cluttered with enclosed buildings to encourage more dynamic late-game combat. The stabilizer looks more open and easier to pass through, so hopefully it can lure defenders out of their shells.
Shipyard – This camp near Hydroponics has received a major update, combining the nostalgic elements of the original Olympus with a new emphasis on vertical gameplay.
I, uh, don't have this photo. I was also willing to abandon its nostalgic nature on the grounds that it effectively replaces Elysium, the nifty floating mini-Olympus that previously served as one of the map's defining features. Thankfully, Season 27 doesn't cut Elysium off from the main body like a frozen wart—it just moved to where Somers University (née Orbital Cannon) is now located.
Legend Updates
Valkyrie ready to dominate the dogfight, with her VTOL aircraft gaining speed boosts and reloads three times faster, as well as faster takeoff times for her Skyward Dive Ultimate. Her Missile Swarm tactic becomes more useful with zero damage to self, no height restrictions, and she now scans enemies on hit and puts movement passives on cooldown. Its improvements could expand missile flight patterns, reduce fuel consumption while improving horizontal speed, and significantly increase its maximum takeoff time.
Like Siegfried in The Ring of the Nibelungs, I have never feared the Valkyries. So I don't have much of a problem with her jetpack becoming increasingly impressive jetpack-like, and flying right up to an enemy to safely drop the entire Rocket Swarm payload down their throat sounds like a delicious all-or-nothing gambit. That said: Respawn, I once again implore you to stop adding scans to everything. I thought that investing in anti-cheat technology and excluding Steam Deck players will be in the name of removing wallhacks, not giving yourself a monopoly on them.
Shaft Fixes the map with an improved Amped Cover Tactical attack that evolves as gameplay progresses. Her walls restore health as Evo levels up, increase speed, and turn on the roof! The upgrades go even further, adding faster reloads and infinite ammo when shooting from behind reinforced cover, as well as wall health regeneration outside of combat.
Nice try, but I still don't play Rampart.
Fly higher with Horizon Buffs: Her Tactical Gravity Lift now has a shorter cooldown and improved lift speed, as well as more health for Black Hole Ultimate. And her improved upgrades open up more options for mid-air movement: fall quickly while crouching in mid-air or slide out of gravity lifts for enhanced mid-air control, plus gain bonus gravity lift charges when knocked down.
Yep, mommy science will reign supreme once again. I've always liked the versatility of Gravity Lift, which at first glance seems like it's just a big jump-up helper, but even under the worst nerfs it can do anything from blocking a doorway to rescuing downed teammates through the air. And more Black Hole Generator health might mean that after hundreds of hours I'll finally be able to spin it to its full duration. A girl can dream.
Weapon and movement changes
Double Tap: Jump Up arrives with new, more destructive melee firepower for the alternator! Fire both barrels at the same time and watch your enemies fall before they realize what hit them. The perfect weapon for fast and deadly fights – just close the gap and double tap.
Assuming this actually gives the Generator double damage per shot, this could be another Season 2 Destroyer Rounds: Not so much a lucky find as it is an obligatory power-up that transforms the Alternator from a canine submachine gun into a deicide force of primal horror. Keep in mind, there's a lot of “close range” talk in this description, so maybe (hopefully) this reduces accuracy in return?
New Mantle Reinforcement Gives players a forward boost when climbing ledges or walls, helping legends dive into the next fight. Trident gets improved collision and vehicle health (including visuals), making them more fun to drive and more enjoyable to fight.
The mantle boost (or mantle jump), if you're not aware – and I freely admit that I was – is one of those overly complex movement tricks where pressing a very specific key combination at a very specific moment under very specific conditions allows you to get sick while bouncing off a ledge. I don't believe I've ever died from an enemy's mantle jumping over my confused head Free Willy style, but Respawn apparently thinks it's a cool enough move to simplify and democratize the process. The update even adds a “Mantle Boost Indicator” that will let you know when you're in a great position to hit. I mean, of course? At least I'll try.
But these Tridents change, no, no. The only Apex car is fun because It's barely drivable: it's a run-of-the-mill American cow-car that constantly bumps into things and has a turning radius only slightly smaller in diameter than Olympus itself. And that's why I like it. If I needed precision, I would use my feet.
Making the car destructible rather than just causing damage to its occupants also ruins how I most enjoy using the Trident. Particularly in single-player mode, visibly pushing past full teams of three to encourage them to give up – and, if I finished in the top two, honking as a peace gesture, conceding the match to the team that played it correctly, in the hope that we could part as friends. In the meantime, healing any personal damage is easy enough, but if non-friends can just blow up my car, I won't even have the horn to honk.
I'm still excited about Horizon's fan base and overall emphasis on movement, while the changes to Olympus – which in my opinion has always been the most structurally interesting, enjoyable to play and visually beautiful map of the entire Apex bunch – seem at least unlikely to ruin it. It's offset by the pain of my beloved Trident being temporarily reduced to scrap metal, but hey, I didn't even know what a mantle jump was until a couple days ago. Some kind of Apex Legend, yes.
