Apex Legends Season 13 Looks Completely Different
Respawn Entertainment's "Apex Legends" is a battle royale that's constantly evolving. Although it didn't receive much attention when originally released in 2019, "Apex Legends" has slowly but surely grown its player base thanks to a constant stream of new content. Like "Fortnite," "Apex Legends" releases its content via big updates called Seasons. Because Season 12 was the most popular Apex Season to date, fans were curious about what Respawn Entertainment had up its sleeves for the next Season. Some fans believed they already knew what was coming up thanks to the big "Apex Legends" leak, but they were wrong, and it seems nobody could have predicted these Season 13 changes.
Although Season 13 is barely a day old, it already looks like Respawn Entertainment has surpassed expectations and raised the bar once again with Season 13. Season 13 brings a new Legend, map changes, balance changes, a new Battle Pass, and adjustments to the Ranked system that will undoubtedly keep players returning for months.
New Legend: Newcastle
Newcastle is a support Legend that provides shields and protection to both himself and his teammates. Although, Newcastle can also use many of his abilities offensively, making him one of the most versatile Legends and a great addition to any team. Although, players have recently discovered Newcastle was originally much different than what was released in Season 13.
Like Lifeline, Newcastle has a Passive ability that makes reviving teammates easier. Newcastle's Retrieve the Wounded allows players to drag allies while being revived while also offering a shield for protection. This allows Newcastle to move downed teammates out of danger quickly. The shield's strength is based on Newcastle's equipped Knockdown Shield. So, teams should prioritize gearing Newcastle with an Epic or Legendary Knockdown Shield.
Newcastle's Tactical Ability, Mobile Shield is his bread and butter. Newcastle throws out a moving energy shield that negates incoming damage. After throwing the shield, players can redirect it at any time by repressing the Tactical Ability button. Enemies can break the shield, but it has a sizable 350 HP on the top half and 300 HP on the bottom half. And because the shield has a low 11-second cooldown, it's incredibly strong.
Finally, Newcastle's Ultimate, Castle Wall, lets him leap to an ally or target area, creating a fortified structure. The fortification in question is a half-circle wall that can be vaulted over. However, when enemies attempt to jump over the fortification, they are stunned for 17 damage. In closed spaces, the Castle Wall shines as it prevents enemies from pushing through doorways and cramped areas. Additionally, the walls are hard to shoot through, as they have around 750 HP.
Map changes
Season 13 brings a few exciting changes to the fan-favorite Storm Point map. Most notably, players will find a giant sea creature washed up on shore in the zone connecting North Pad, Checkpoint, and The Mill. And because this mysterious creature is already decomposing, players can enter its body to find high-tier loot and battle other players. Additionally, players take the high ground on top of the monster to gain a tactical advantage in any vertical gunfight. Although the site is somewhat secluded, there is a Gravity Cannon conveniently placed nearby that players can use to evacuate quickly.
The update also brings brand new buildings called Armories spread across Storm Point, but players should be cautious when approaching these buildings as they are guarded by enemy AI known as Spectres. Once inside, players can activate the Armory, closing off the entrances and battling against multiple waves of Spectres. If players successfully survive for a full 60-second, players are rewarded with a sizable amount of loot. The more Spectres killed, the better the loot.
Balance changes and a reworked Ranked system
Of course, a new season of "Apex Legends" wouldn't be complete without some balance changes, so there were a few small but notable changes to gear and passives. Firstly, the Fortified passive no longer reduces headshot damage. Secondly, the headshot damage reduction on Rare helmets was increased from 40% to 50%, while the Epic helmets were increased from 50% to 65%. So now the only advantage a Legendary helmet has over the Epic is its Tactical and Ultimate recharge time reduction. And finally, the spawn rate of Syringes and Cells was lowered by 18%, making them more valuable.
There were also quite a few weapon adjustments in Season 13. Notably, it was a big update for shotguns, as the Mozambique, Mastiff, and Peacekeeper shotguns were all buffed. Additionally, the Havoc rife received a slight buff in its recoil pattern. Some overpowered weapons were also adjusted, with the LStar, Devotion, Kraber, Spitfire, and Rampage all receiving nerfs.
Ranked matchmaking also received a massive rework for Season 13. The Kill RP Cap was removed to get players to focus less on kills, and successive kills are now worth fewer points. Additionally, the Assist timer was increased to 15 seconds from 10 seconds, allowing payers to get assists more easily. Adjustments were also made to the Rank Tier system in addition to adding a new Rookie tier. These changes are a clear sign that Respawn Entertainment is trying to get players to focus on surviving rather than racking up a double-digit kill score.