Apex Legends Legacy launches May 4 with Starter Kits, emotes, Arenas, new map, more

We’ve been talking about Apex Legends Legacy for the past few weeks now, taking deeper dives into the Arenas mode and overviews of all the changes coming with the update. Today, the patch notes dropped for the incoming expansion starting on May 4, so let’s take a look at the changes we can expect to see in Apex Legends Legacy.

Gone are season numbers with the latest Apex Legends Legacy update

Since the first major update to Apex Legends, we’ve seen season numbers increment each time. While this should be dubbed Season 9, Respawn has done away with that naming convention and gone with Legacy as the headline title for this update.

Starter Kits will remove low-tier items from ground loot

Originally trialed back in the Locked & Loaded limited-time event, players will now start matches with a “Starter Kit” that includes a level 1 EVO shield, helmet, knockdown shield, plus two syringes and shield cells each. This helps you kickstart your game by giving some protection and healables without having to worry about looting those.

Level 1 helmets and knockdown shields will be removed from the loot pool entirely. This means that you’ll never find one on the ground, in a care package, or even in a bin. However, level 1 EVO shields will continue to spawn, though at a lower rate. This will allow players to shield swap in the heat of battle. Level 1 EVO shields might not be great, but that bonus 50 health can be the difference between winning a match and dying early, so it’s nice to know that’ll still be available.

Valkyrie takes to the skies as the latest legend

Kairi Imahara, the daughter of Apex Predator Viper, is the latest addition to the Apex Games. We’ve had glimpses of her kit from the previous announcements, but it’s nice to finally get a confirmation as to just what her loadout looks like.

With a passive of VTOL Jets, she’ll be able to easily reposition or reach high places with ease. However, you have limited fuel and can’t use weapons while flying. Her tactical brings a Missile Swam to the mix, which lets you fire a swarm of mini-rockets that damage and disorient the enemy.

However, when it comes to a team-based ability, her ultimate, the Skyward dive, will give everyone a boost. It lets you take to the skies and reposition over a long distance, traversing much of the map in one fell swoop. Plus, your teammates can also take advantage of this, which means that everyone can get out of trouble at a moment’s notice, or get close to the new ring after a long fight.

Arenas takes center stage as a new game mode that’s not going anywhere

While we’ve seen different game modes come and go, you’ll find that Arenas is here to stay. We’ve already taken a closer look at Arenas, so if you want to learn more about the new mode, head on over to our other coverage.

Bocek Bow, Emotes, and a new Olympus round out a solid update list

While the patch notes are quite long, for new gear and updates, the Bocek Bow, emotes, and an update to Olympus round things out, making Legacy one of the biggest updates to the game we’ve seen.

This new bow, which is pronounced bow-check, requites a bit of skill to master. Once you hold down fire, you’ll draw the bow that increases the power of the shot. However, in more fast-paced games, you can get shots off quickly, though they won’t deal the full amount of damage.

It uses a new ammo type, Arrows, which are unique to the weapon. They’re more rare in the loot pool; however, arrows that are fired stick into surfaces and remain in the world to pick back up and reuse at a later time.

When it comes to map changes, we’re not seeing any town takeovers this time around. Instead, we’re getting an updated Olympus where The Lost Fleet have come to shake things up. Mysterious ships have made their way to the sky-bound city and brought an otherworldly, parasitic plant that has taken root along the surface. The Icarus, which is the lead ship, docked with the city and changed the landscape for good. You’ll have to fight the “claustrophobic halls” of the ghost ship, search corpses for a keycard, and fight to become the last man standing.

There’s plenty more more to explore in Apex Legends Legacy

We’ve only scratched the surface of Apex Legends Legacy, which launches May 4 as a free update to all platforms. For a full list of changes, you’ll want to head on over to the Apex Blog. But, for more on Arenas, new gameplay, and more, keep it locked right here.

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