What’s new in Apex Legends season 17?

Apex LegendsSeason 17, “Arsenal,” kicks off May 9 and brings with it both a new character and a new (or at least noticeably remade) map. Fans have already met Ballistic, the new hero, but they only know his knowledge, not his skills, nor the wider gameplay changes that support them. And the map, we must say, looks good – with one major focal point worth exploring for Easter eggs when you’re not getting shot at.

Here’s everything confirmed on Monday in Season 17’s first gameplay reveal – much of this previously leaked by the usual cadre of data miners. Ballistics is a big part of what’s coming to the free-to-play hero shooter/battle royale, but there’s a lot more on the table than a new face and knowledge to go with it.

Who is Apex Legends’ new character for Season 17?

August Montgomery “Ballistic” Brinkman was already introduced in a Lore trailer on April 24 and then again in a launch trailer on April 26. During a media/influencer preview shown under embargo two weeks ago, Ballistic’s backstory, as a flamboyantly deadly killer in the Thunderdome Games (the predecessor of the Apex Games), was revealed in detail. But we haven’t heard – officially, anyway – about the gameplay features of the 24th Legend.

So, here they are:

• passive: Ballistic carries a Sling, which is basically a third weapon lock. The limitation is that this gun cannot have attachments; the bonus is, well, that’s tied to his Ultimate.
• Tactical: This is called The Whistler, and it’s both simple (a clever bullet that follows an enemy after being locked) and complicated (all the things that happen after that). Should The Whistler hit its target, they won’t necessarily take damage, but they will suffer a debuff that causes their weapon to overheat the more it is fired. If it overheats and explodes, they will take damage. Additionally, if The Whistler actually misses, it will leave behind an area of ​​effect, where anyone who enters it will receive the same overheating debuff on their weapons.
• Ultimate: The Tempest turns Ballistic into a one-man arsenal (hence the nickname for Season 17) that greatly polishes its teammates and itself: they gain infinite ammo, faster reloads, and faster weapon movement speed. And about the pendulum? The weapon there has been upgraded to the gold version, which makes for some very interesting decisions about what to carry in it.

Plus, Ballistic is a legend of the Assault class – and under the class’s overhaul Apex Legends got last season (instead of a new character), which means he will have the Assault perks. Just to remind you, those are:

• Open a secret compartment in a red weapon storage bin, which gives Assault characters access to gear and attachments that match their current loadout

• Assault Legends can carry an extra stack of ammunition per inventory slot

Given his all-out attack style and formidable special abilities, Ballistic should be an extremely dynamic character in the hands of those who enjoy running and shooting the most.

Image: Respawn Entertainment/Electronic Arts

What’s the new map for Apex Legends Season 17?

While players don’t expect a new map every season, they didn’t get one in Season 16 either, as Respawn’s developers focused on bigger, structural changes to Battle Royale’s gameplay. Now that that work is done, they deliver both a new hero and a new card in Season 17.

It’s a pretty major overhaul of World’s Edge, the game’s second battle royale map (introduced in Season 3, during the game’s first year), and last updated in Season 10 (August 2021). World’s Edge is a resource mining colony on the planet Talus, torn apart by violent volcanic activity.

The terraforming there had been trying to cool World’s Edge lava flows to allow mining, but a malfunction in one of the control towers left it a ghost town with many destroyed buildings – a perfect place to stage the Apex Games.

Well, apparently the lava flows have cooled down on their own, though not completely, allowing for some additions and changes while keeping intact what fans love about World’s Edge. That starts with a few new points of attention.

• Monument: This is essentially an edit of the Fragment East point of interest in the center of the map, and it’s by far the biggest change coming to World’s Edge. In the middle of Monument, beneath that rocket-like structure that looks like, well, a monument, is a glass-ceilinged museum dedicated to the history of the Apex Games. The museum is essentially a bunker POI, although it does have quick access sniper positions at the top of the monument. Additionally, the bunker’s glass ceiling (actually the floor of the monument) allows players to peer inside, both to view the exhibits, but more likely to see who has fled down there, supposedly to safety.
• piles: This replaces Lava City in the southeast corner of the map and stars the red building under construction, with ziplines at both ends, which was previously a Fragment landmark. Lava City is inspired by that red building and features a lot of vertical gameplay and several interconnected rooftops.

Image: Respawn Entertainment/Electronic Arts

Can you really learn about the history of Apex Legends at the museum?

Respawn’s developers say yes you can – both in the world and as a video game. The museum is an appropriate inclusion given Ballistic’s involvement in the little-discussed Thunderdome Games, the predecessor of the Apex Games. (The Thunderdome was a location on the King’s Canyon map, but was destroyed three years ago in Season 5). The museum charts the history behind the rise of the Apex Games from the end of the largely underground Thunderdome Games to the present day. There will be a section dedicated to the original legends and a section about Respawn’s development of the game, including some of the studio’s earliest design concepts.

Grid view

What gameplay updates will Apex Legends get in Season 17?

With Season 16 so focused on gameplay, Respawn took a step back in Season 17 to give players time to grow into an ever-evolving game. But Season 17 introduces a Weapon Mastery system – a form of progression that doesn’t reset every season. Each time players fight with a weapon, they generate XP for that weapon, either by dealing damage, getting kills, or using certain functions.

There are plenty of account-level cosmetic unlocks on each weapon’s Mastery track (badges, banner frames, performance trackers), but it all culminates in a legendary skin for that weapon once players fully master all the challenges.

There will also be a second round of changes and upgrades Apex LegendsFiring Range, which received an update in Season 16 when Respawn moved to make the game more accessible to newcomers. AI battle dummies can now fire back at players training there, for starters. There is a Duel Pit where they can practice fighting one-on-one, and a Vert Course where they can practice more advanced traversal techniques. The Combat Range also allows players to practice with every weapon in the game.

Finally, updates to the game’s famous (and very useful) ping wheel will improve non-verbal communication between teammates, and a new “Evac Tower” will allow players to deploy a balloon (with certain tactical limitations) that allows players to fly high ziplining and being able to skydive from the air. a particularly hairy firefight.

What’s in the Season 17 Battle Pass?

Another 100 levels of content are unlocked waiting for players in Season 17. The free Battle Pass track includes the usual array of weapon skins (10) and Apex Coins (200), plus a Mad Maggie skin, four loading screens, and the Season 17 badge.

Of course, Respawn and EA really want people to buy the premium battle pass, which costs 900 Apex Coins (1,000 coins are $9.99) or a battle pass bundle (2,800 Apex Coins, which requires a 2,000 and 1,000 coin bundle for a total of $29.98).

Both the standard battle pass and the bundle will provide enough Apex Coins to purchase the premium pass for the next season. This season’s bundle, in addition to unlocking the first (or next) 25 levels, gives players a legendary skin for Wattson called “System Shock”.

When are Apex Legends Season 17 start and end dates?

Apex Legends Season 17, “Arsenal,” goes live at 10am PST/1pm EST on Tuesday, May 9. An end date hasn’t been announced (probably because that would pre-announce the Season 17 start date), but the May season of Apex Legends usually ends in early August.