Nostalgia, when you think about it, is bollocks. There has never been a better time than right this second – averaged out, and despite repeated attempts to the contrary, humanity has never been healthier, freer, or more enlightened by knowledge. It’s true of games too. For every by-committee platter of passionless map markers, there are thousands of more personal, more creative, more interesting works, all adding to the decades' worth of great stuff we can still play today.
What isn’t bollocks is the emotional pull that nostalgia, for all its lack of cold, hard reason, still manages to wield inside our warm, squishy brains. Hence, the centrepiece of Apex Legends’ Season 23 update is a mode that recreates the battle royale FPS as it was back in 2019, defaulting back to the original map and weapon arsenal while cutting the 26-strong legend roster to the earliest ten. It’s a Fortnite-style rolling back of the clock, and a passably enjoyable one, but also a reminder that the good old days weren’t always that good.
]]>The Steam Deck is something of a talisman for gaming on Linux, its popularity and penguin-powered SteamOS having almost singlehandedly dragged it past MacOS as the second-most-used operating system among Steam users. Sadly, this also means the Valve handheld is the primary casualty when developers decide to stop bothering with Linux support, as Respawn Entertainment have decided to do for Apex Legends.
]]>Apex Legends developers Respawn Entertainment have announced that poorly-received plans to overhaul the battle royale's Premium Battle Pass will be partially walked back. Most crucially, the new passes – set to launch alongside the upcoming Season 22 in August – will no longer be sold exclusively for real-world cash; as with previous BPs, players will still be able to buy them with accumulated in-game currency.
]]>Ever since the hat was invented by Valve Corporation in 2009, mankind has grappled with questions of fairness, worthiness, and pride – at least as they pertain to microtransations in free-to-play games. Shooty battle royale Apex Legends is the latest to posit an answer, that being "the Battle Pass should cost more money".
]]>Even as they cancel games and carry out mass layoffs, EA see sunny skies ahead for Respawn's free-to-play battle royale shooter Apex Legends, with CEO Andrew Wilson outlining plans to "expand beyond the traditional battle royale universe".
]]>If there’s a secret to how Apex Legends has endured the past five years, an era marked by as many FPS failures as successes, then it might be this: there are no sacred cows in live service. Since its surprise launch in February 2019, developers Respawn Entertainment have chopped and changed everything from hitbox-shrinking Naruto run animations to entire character designs and ability kits, gutting and reworking gear and class mechanics along the way. The incoming Season 20 update, titled Breakout, represents the latest large-scale rejig, adding upgradeable skill tress for its playable Legends that promise MOBA-esque progression and the maddest fights yet.
Then again, if you actually ask Respawn’s Apex team how they reached this point – as I did when I visited their Los Angeles offices for a Season 20 test run – you’re unlikely to get just one answer. Rather, the battle royale’s unusual longevity in a fiercely contested space is more often attributed to those ongoing work-and-rework efforts themselves, the scope of which sometimes remains a surprise to the developers themselves. As does, according to lead game designer Devan McGuire, Apex’s success.
]]>I’ve played Apex Legends Season 20, and it might be the fastest and fiercest that the battle royale FPS has ever been – while also being the richest in tactical opportunities and metagame theorycrafting. It's all thanks to a drastically expanded Evo experience system, one that now not only boosts your shield capacity, but unlocks the branches of a MOBA-style skill tree that permanently buffs your character for the duration of a match. Even for a season with no new playable Legend to headline, it’s an update that feels exciting and genuinely game-changing – if a little scary at the same time.
]]>Like many Titanfall enjoyers, I look at the gleaming success of battle royale spinoff Apex Legends with both a smidge of pride and a gutful of sadness that I haven’t had any wall-running, mech-dropping FPS adventures since. Indeed, an unannounced single-player Titanfall game was quietly shelved last year, and if there’s any burning sense of unfinished business among series devs Respawn Entertainment, it wasn’t evident during my recent visit to try out Apex Legends’ Season 20 update.
Even so, it turns out some still carry the fire, at least as source of inspiration for Apex lore and mechanics. I asked Respawn’s narrative lead Ashley Reed whether Titanfall was keeping in anyone’s minds, and was told that if anything, the references need reining in.
]]>Every game is Who Framed Roger Rabbit now - or, less charitably, a metaversal hellscape where canonical integrity matters far less than providing a platform through which to sell cosmetics.
Apex Legends is the latest live service game to take the plunge with its first crossover event. It's with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and it'll bring the Buster Sword, Aerith, and other elements from the JRPG to the battle royale on January 9th.
]]>After offering up some of their accessibility inventions for free a couple of years ago - including the context-aware ping system seen in Apex Legends and code for a colourblindness tool - Electronic Arts are opening up even more of their accessibility features for anyone to use.
]]>Could Titanfall 3 finally be on the way? It’s a hope that fans of Respawn’s beloved shooter have been holding onto for the best part of a decade now, but recent evidence in the form of quiet updates to Titanfall 2 and a cryptic teaser for its spiritual successor Apex Legends has given them renewed hope that something new might be on the way.
]]>There's always been quite a disconnect between Revenant's reputation and his abilities in Apex Legends. All the cinematics we get of this infamous, terrifying murder-bot show him single-mindedly pursuing his targets, scuttling along walls, and wiping out enemies at close range like a cybernetic John Wick. But once you get in-game, his toolkit has always been fairly underwhelming - with the exception of his Death Totem, which never seemed to sit well thematically with the character.
Season 18 of Apex looks to change all that. Revenant is finally getting the love he deserves with a new sinister-looking base skin and a full rework of all his abilities. And guys, I think they might have gone a bit too far making him scary again. I think he might be overpowered.
]]>Apex Legends players are deliberately avoiding each other to last longer in the team battle-royale shooter’s ranked mode, according to devs Respawn. That’s a bit of a problem when it’s a multiplayer game about, y’know, shooting - so the studio plans to target what it says is a rising trend of “ratting” in the upcoming Season 18.
]]>This week, inspired by Doom running on teletext, the Electronic Wireless Show podcast investigates: what other devices, mechanisms, or live animals can join the immortal shooter’s vast empire of unlikely ports? Despite not even being on the show this week, Alice Bee tasks us with finding the best, worst, or weirdest cases of Can It Run Doom from across the internet. And, sometimes, inside Nate’s mind.
We also discuss what we’ve been playing this week, with a double bill of disappointment in The Lord of the Rings: Gollum and Darkest Dungeon 2, before Nate transforms the Tower of Jocularity into a marketplace of Dark Bargains. Capitalised for terrible, terrible emphasis.
]]>The Electronic Wireless Show is not bound by your mortal rules, which is why even though this is a PC gaming podcast we're going to talk about Zelda, dammit all, because everyone else gets to talk about Tears Of The Kingdom and we're just as cool as them. We (attempt to) talk about our favourite Zelda games of the past, our favourite Zelda-likes on PC, and I explain how Tears Of The Kingdom works to Nate and James. Honestly though, we don't make it very far, because it turns out the lads haven't ever played a Zelda game before. At least, Nate might have. We're not entirely sure.
We do also talk about what we've been playing this week as well - which include some old favourites, some new secrets, and Gaben's tiny hands - and give some great new recommendations. Nate also delivers a very involved mini-game involving beans and aliens, and James doesn't talk about the Asus ROG Ally.
]]>The new Apex Legends season, Arsenal, looks exciting from watching the new trailer. The 17th season is set to launch on May 9th, and features new character Ballistic, a competitor in the Apex Games' predecessor the Thunderdome Games, now making a comeback as the new legend. The popular World's Edge map is also getting some healing, and there's an Apex Museum within the map that celebrates Apex's past, present, and future. Although the theme for this season seems to be nostalgia, there are still some new features to look forward to, particularly the updates to the weapon system and upgraded Firing Range.
]]>To celebrate Apex Legends’ upcoming Season 17, developer Respawn have announced the newest hero to join the roster: old-timer Ballistic. The battle-royale's last season had no new Legend, disappointing a few Apexers, but Ballistic is coming out of his comfy wine-fuelled retirement and joining the fight on May 9th, just for you guys.
]]>On Tuesday, EA abruptly laid off over 200 quality assurance testers at their LA office Baton Rouge, who were primarily working on their free-to-play battle royale Apex Legends. This news comes from a report by Kotaku which says the layoffs happened over a last-minute Zoom call, according to three of their sources. EA later confirmed the news, calling the layoffs part of their “ongoing global strategy” to expand the “distribution of our Apex Legends testing team.”
]]>Apex Legends is going to look a little different in a week's time. Respawn have broken the mould a little bit with Apex Legends Revelry and the game's four year anniversary - instead of adding a new Legend as usual, they've spent their time elsewhere to bring a host of Legend meta and weapon meta changes, alongside the new Team Deathmatch game mode and improving player onboarding that we reported on earlier in the week.
Apex Legends Season 16 is going to break a surprising number of targeted adjustments to various different guns, Legends, and abilities. And all that on top of the entirely revamped Legend class system, which gives every Legend a brand new perk (or in some cases two!) to play with. Read on for a full list of all the major changes that are coming to Legends and weapons with Apex Legends Revelry.
]]>Relax, friend. That momentary disappointment you feel at the prospect of no new Legend being added with Season 16 of Apex Legends? Allow me to assuage it with exciting news about what the devs have been working on instead. Namely - a complete rework of the Legend classes and perks system; a new top-tier burst Assault Rifle; a rotating playlist of limited time modes, including the new Team Deathmatch mode; improved onboarding for new players; and much more.
Read more about all the major changes coming with Apex Legends Revelry on Tuesday 14th February below, and join me as I aggressively chew the walls in anticipation of the five new character classes that are about to shake up the Legend meta.
]]>Fans have been clamouring for a sequel to Titanfall 2 since its release in 2016, but it looks like we might need to put those hopes on hold for a little longer. According to a report from Bloomberg, EA have cancelled an unannounced project codenamed Titanfall Legends, a single-player mash-up between Titanfall and Apex Legends - Respawn’s battle royale, set in the same universe. Around 50 devs were working on the game before its cancellation earlier this week. EA are reportedly trying to find other positions for the devs, but those that aren't rehired are being laid off with severance.
]]>I've learned to love Apex Legends, having bounced off it hard multiple times. The pace is high, the movement tricky, the guns have like, 18 bullets in a clip and it's really easy to buzz them all into thin-air. But once a few friends held my hand and taught me to be patient and position myself properly, rather than charge into battle at any given opportunity, the game began to click. And what a battle royale it is.
]]>Imagine a battle royale game, right, but instead of dropping into an arena with one life and no guns, you actually start with your loadout and can respawn as many times as you like while you fight over control points in 9v9 matches. Now stop imagining that, because it's exactly what you'll get to do when Control mode temporarily returns to Apex Legends next week as part of the Spellbound Collection Event. I think the idea's got legs.
]]>Apex Legends: Eclipse, the 15th season of Respawn's peerless battle royale, is nearly upon us. We've already seen quite a bit about Broken Moon, the brand new map being added with Season 15 - but now Respawn has finally released more details about the new Legend, Catalyst, and the Ferrofluid-powered abilities she brings to the Apex Games.
It turns out that part of Catalyst's diverse skillset is an Ultimate ability that may at last provide some serious counterplay to the ever-present scan meta dominated by recon Legends such as Bloodhound and Seer. Take a look at Catalyst's abilities in the new Season 15 vignette trailer below.
]]>Season 15 of Apex Legends is ziprailing its way towards us at a frightening speed. When it lands at the end of the month, it'll bring with it a new Legend, just like every new Season - but even more significantly, Apex Legends: Eclipse will introduce the fifth Apex map, a big and beautiful multi-biome arena called Broken Moon.
]]>Respawn have revealed the next legend arriving in their free-to-play battle royale Apex Legends will be the game’s first trans hero, Catalyst. The latest season is called Eclipse, and brings the new map Divided Moon. The update also introduces gifting to Apex Legends, and there’ll be a brand new battle pass. Find out more about Catalyst’s backstory by watching the trailer below.
]]>What will be added to Apex Legends in Season 15? Thanks to a spate of early leaks containing datamined information, we received more information about what's coming in Season 15 of Apex Legends than I think we've ever had about an upcoming season update so early on. And now that we've reached the stage where Respawn are releasing their usual trickle of trailers surrounding the new season, we know quite a bit about what's coming at the end of the month.
Titled Apex Legends: Eclipse, this massive update will add a whole new map to the game, alongside a new Legend, possibly a new weapon, and a host of skins and other bits of content. Let's take a closer look at everything that is coming in Apex Legends Season 15 below.
]]>Apex Legends: Hunted is soon to release, and leading the charge is Vantage - the youngest Legend ever inducted (or abducted) into the Apex Games. Vantage hails from the icy world of Pagos, and her skills as a sharpshooter are borne out in her three powerful abilities - not least of which is her custom sniper rifle Ultimate, which she can bring out before the ability has even fully charged in order to snipe enemies and mark them for increased damage for her entire team.
Take a closer look at her dangerous-sounding abilities in the new Apex Legends vignette trailer below.
]]>Apex Legends: Hunted is shaping up to be one of the most substantial updates to Respawn's beloved battle royale in recent times. The Season 14 update will drop in just over a week's time, and as well as the customary new Legend - youthful sharpshooter Vantage - we'll also be seeing lots of weapon updates, and some important changes to Apex's oldest map, Kings Canyon. Remember Skull Town? Well, it's back. Sort of.
]]>Anime is an acquired taste, so you might not be a fan of stylised fights, speed lines and wacky costumes. Apex Legends is hoping you are though, because the Gaiden event has kicked off to bring some cosmetics influenced by One Piece, My Hero Academia and, possibly, Attack On Titan into the sci-fi battle royale for a limited time. Watch the surprisingly authentic anime-style trailer below.
]]>It sounds very much like there’s a single-player Apex Legends game on the horizon, judging from several jobs being advertised by Respawn Entertainment. Hang on – stompy robot shooter Titanfall 2 was the only single-player game in the same universe as Apex so far. Could this be Titanfall 3 or something else entirely?
]]>Nothing says "family" more than banding together to slaughter a giant sea creature, then using its corpse as a venue for killing each other repeatedly in your bloodsport tournaments. Yes, Apex Legends' 13th season, Saviors, is now live, bringing with it changes to the Storm Point map, and the newest Legend, Newcastle.
]]>Want to learn about Newcastle's abilities and how to play him effectively in Apex Legends? Newcastle is the latest Legend to be added to Apex Legends with the arrival of Season 13: Saviors. He's a defensive-oriented Legend, but one who excels at moving between points of danger and providing protection where necessary.
There's a fair bit of nuance to each of Newcastle's abilities - not to mention counterplay potential that you'll need to watch out for. So to that end, we've put together the below comprehensive guide on how to play as Newcastle in Apex Legends. We'll go over each of his abilities in turn, providing in-depth tips and advice on when and how to use them. We'll also talk about Newcastle's backstory, and the ideal Legends to use alongside Newcastle in an Apex Legends squad.
]]>The latest backstory video for Apex Legends has arrived, but it turns out Respawn and EA pulled a fast one on us when they supposedly confirmed the identity of rookie Legend Newcastle as Jackson Williams. So Newcastle isn’t the Newcastle that's been in the Apex Legends backstory for ages, yet he is Newcastle. How does that work? Well, Jackson Williams is Newcastle now. He just wasn’t always.
]]>Season 13 of Apex Legends is arriving May 10th and there’s yet another new Legend entering the Apex Games: Newcastle. Newcastle is a defensive character with many, many shields, and who vibes a little like RoboCop crossed with Dead Space’s Isaac Clarke. Season 13, dubbed 'Saviors', also introduces some beastly changes to the huge Storm Point map that have been teased over the past few weeks on the Apex Legends Twitter.
]]>The new Apex Legends Season 12 gameplay trailer gives us a better look at Mad Maggie's fiery abilities, and they seem perfect for flushing campers out of their hiding spots. This latest trailer, delivered as a piece of Silva Pharmaceuticals propaganda, also reveals the Sabotaged Olympus map update and Control mode coming in Season 12.
]]>Want to know the Apex Legends Season 12 release time? Mad Maggie's dropping into the Apex games, which means Apex Legends Season 12 is almost here. If you're eager to paint the town red and cause carnage with Maggie's wrecking ball ultimate ability, you'll want to know the exact release time for Apex Legends Season 12.
Below, we'll cover the exact release time for Apex Legends Season 12, so that you can be one of the first to drop into Sabotaged Olympus as Mad Maggie.
]]>Until recently, Mad Maggie's main claim to fame in Apex Legends was that she had a surprisingly spry 80-year-old mum, and loved to tell people about it. Now we know she'll be emerging from the backstory and joining the playable Legend roster with Season 12 (Defiance), and a new trailer gives us our first look at her rather destructive set of abilities.
]]>This week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang is both festive, but tinged with sadness. It's Imogen's final run of the pod and I'm very sad about it. But we (I) gather ourselves and chat FPS news, like how PUBG is going free to play, Overwatch actually has something new, and lots of Halo Infinite stuff. We also get one final update on Imogen's Apex Legends rank. I'd love to say it's positive, but it's actually quite crushing. Merry Christmas.
]]>Games are increasingly expensive, but there are still plenty of great experiences to be had without paying a single penny for them, just like the ones you'll find below in our list of the best free PC games you can play right now. From newer releases to old-timey classics, our unordered list is packed with the best free PC games available.
]]>This week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang is, once again, all about the big releases. Battlefield 2042's in a bit of state, so we talk about the many patches scheduled to fix it up. We've also heard that those banned in Call Of Duty: Vanguard will be banned across the entire series, which is nice. Halo Infinite's multiplayer surprise launched and Outriders DLC appears out of nowhere too. Imogen rounds off the news with her Apex Legends ranked update. Has she reached the platinum dream?
]]>I arrive at this episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang thoroughly shootered. Both big FPS releases of the month, Call Of Duty: Vanguard and Battlefield 2042, have been at my fingertips this week and I've got some thoughts. Of course, Imogen hits us with news too. Valorant has another new character coming out, Fortnite pulls Travis Scott, and Imogen gives us the lowdown on just how much she's enjoying Apex Legends' latest season.
]]>"Storm Point. It's a place where dreams come true," says a character at the end of Apex Legends' Escape mode trailer. Given the two preceding minutes, presumably the dreams have to involve being fired into the sky and then stabbing a bunch of dudes.
Apex Legends' new season, including Storm Point map and new character Ash, are all live now.
]]>This time, I've returned from a trip to Devon having spent too much time ignoring my friends and playing Hollow Knight instead. But what about FPSes? Well, I didn't play any of those. Thankfully Imogen has all of us covered on this week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang, with a news segment rammed with lots of exciting announcements. Namely, Apex Legends gets a new Legend and map, Halo Infinite sees a new trailer, and Call Of Duty's new anti-cheat Ricochet leaks early.
]]>Apex Legends' next season, Escape, kicks off next week, and it introduces the new playable character Ash. She's a simulacrum (read: human brain in robot body) that you might recognise as the evil pilot from Titanfall 2's Into The Abyss level, or as the overseer of Apex Legends' 3v3 Arenas mode. Now she's descending into the Apex games herself, and having taken her for a spin already, I reckon she has some delightfully aggressive abilities that Wraith players in particular are going to enjoy.
]]>Want to know about Ash's abilities in Apex Legends? The upcoming addition to the Apex Legends roster will arrive next week, along with a brand new map, the new CAR SMG, and a host of weapon and Legend balance changes. Ash is turning a lot of heads thanks both to her complex and fascinating backstory and to her powerful and versatile array of abilities.
Below we'll walk you through how each of Ash's abilities work in detail, so you can get off to a great start with her once Season 11 drops. We'll also detail Ash's backstory for those who need to know every last detail about this dangerous new Legend.
]]>Looking for up-to-date and accurate CAR SMG stats for Apex Legends? The CAR is Season 11's addition to the Apex Legends weapons arsenal, and it's got a very impressive array of stats to show off. But what's truly unique about the CAR is its ability to use both Heavy and Light Ammo, and toggle between them at the touch of a button.
Keep reading for an in-depth look at the CAR SMG in Apex Legends, along with detailed stats covering everything from damage profiles and shots to kill to reload times and attachment slots.
]]>Beach map! Beach map! Beach map! Apex Legends' next season, Escape, is right around the corner, and it's bringing a tropical island to fight on. It's also bringing a the new Legend Ash, the CAR SMG and more, but most importantly: beach map! I had a chance to play a little of Respawn's battle royale in this new arena, and it is delightful. Named Stormpoint, it's the FPS's fourth map, and not only is it lovely to look at, but it's full of cool locations to explore and dangerous wildlife to dodge.
]]>Apex Legends is adding a second spooky murderbot to its roster, one that both Apex and Titanfall 2 fans might recognise. Ash is a simulacrum (human consciousness in a freaky robot) who was previously a baddie in Titanfall 2. Since May this year, she's been overseeing Apex's new 3v3 Arenas mode - you know, that ominous voice that tells you to crush your enemies. But in the battle royale's next season, Escape, she'll be joining the fight herself.
]]>I've returned from my trip to the Lake District, with aching calves and a desire to talk about online shooters with Imogen. On this week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang, we don't chat sore muscles, instead, we focus on various Halloween events in games like Apex Legends and Rainbow Six: Siege, our thoughts on the Battlefield 2042 beta, Destiny 2 vaulting yet more stuff, and Call Of Duty: Vanguard finally introducing anti-cheat.
]]>It's beginning: video game Halloween celebrations are starting to emerge from the shadows for another year. This Tuesday, Apex Legends players will be able to jump into the battle royale's new spooky event, Monsters Within. It brings back the limited-time mode that turns Legends into zombies to hunt their pals, adds a bunch of eerie cosmetics, and introduces a new ominous-looking Arenas map to boot. I'm very excited. Halloween!
]]>This week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang is marked by competition. Imogen and I quiz each other on all things shooter trivia, and someone knows more than the other. Anyway, before that, there's plenty of news to catch up on. Call Of Duty: Vanguard has fixed a weird dognado glitch, time-loopy shooter Lemnis Gate is out, Halo: Infinite tech preview number two arrives very soon, and Overwatch 2 announces some reworks. Spoiler alert: Bastion now has a hat.
]]>If you've tried to play Apex Legends over the last week or so and noticed that things have been pretty slow, you're not alone. Since the game's Evolution Collection event launched last week, the battle royale and its servers have been struggling, and Respawn Entertainment have been tinkering away to try and sort it all out. Yesterday, they issued a patch to resolve a number of bugs and improve stability, but having played a few matches myself last night, it seems we're not out of the woods just yet.
]]>Predictably, Imogen and I begin this week's episode of Ultimate Audio Bang by getting excited about Deathloop before realising that there's plenty of other newsy bits to cover. Listen to get our hot thoughts on the Call Of Duty: Vanguard reveal, Battlefield 2042's delay, the Overwatch League using an early build of Overwatch 2 in 2022, and plenty more shootery things.
]]>Long gone are the days when the best battle royale games were all about picking up colourful guns in an ever-shrinking safe zone. There are still plenty that fit that description, of course, but now we have battle royales about swinging swords, wobbly beans, and wrestling, too, giving us a huge variety to choose from. The best battle royales all have one thing in common, though: they're all about being the last person (or people, for team games) standing. Oh, and you usually battle it out in weird and wonderful costumes.
]]>A couple of weeks ago, Respawn Entertainment said they were going to get rid of tap-strafing in Apex Legends, but now it seems they've changed their minds. Tap-strafing is a movement exploit that allows players to keep their momentum after slide-jumping, letting them make speedier turns than they should. Unfortunately for Respawn, they say getting rid of this tech has some "unexpected side effects", so tap-strafing gets to stay in the game, for now.
]]>Apex Legends is getting rid of tap-strafing, a bit of movement tech that allows players to do speedy mid-air turns without losing any momentum. It was never an intended game mechanic, but something high-level players have discovered that makes it incredibly tough to shoot at them. But last night, Respawn announced that they're doing away with tap-strafing in the battle royale's next patch.
]]>On this week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang podcast Imogen and I chat EA sharing Apex Legends' ping system with other companies, Call Of Duty: Vanguard things, and the fact Destiny 2 is adding a big lady. I for one am a fan of this big lady, as her getup reminds me of a candelabra, which is nice.
]]>Last night, Respawn updated Apex Legends to apply some much-needed nerfs to Seer. He's the most recent Legend to arrive in the battle royale, introduced at the start of the current season, and honestly he's been a bit of a pain. Seer's abilities revolve around tracking other players in incredibly disruptive ways, and now the devs have made a few changes to make him a little less annoying. Unfortunately, the changes don't seem that noticeable - I played Apex for three hours last night and didn't actually realise there'd been a patch.
]]>Electronic Arts have offered to let other developers use five of their technology patents for accessibility features for free, saying they hope this will encourage "to build new features that make video games more inclusive". The patents they're offering include the ping system from Apex Legends and colour blindness tech they use in Madden NFL. It's unpleasant that they patented them in the first place, and that companies even can patent features that make games more accessible, but I guess at least they are sharing now.
]]>This week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang podcast kicks off with some chat about ice creams, which Imogen then sprinkles with some news shavings. We talk Apex Legends cross-progression, Titanfall hacking drama, and nice buffs. Also, Back 4 Blood is a bit good isn't it? PUBG has naked zombies, Splitgate is doing very well, and one Valorant Agent's feeling a bit stuck.
]]>Daniel Klein, the now-former lead game designer on Apex Legends, has been let go from Respawn Entertainment, due to sexist and racist remarks he made in 2007. A video and screenshots of his old DeviantArt blog posts began circulating online last month, referring to women as having "moron chromosomes" and comparing African people to animals. Klein has since apologised, though it seems his days working on Apex are over.
]]>Apex Legends has had cross-platform play since October last year, letting players group up with their pals regardless of whether they're playing on console or PC. Unfortunately, it still doesn't have cross-progression, meaning that once you start an account on a platform, your progress is stuck there. Good news on that front though: during a Reddit Q&A over the weekend, Respawn Entertainment assured players cross-platform progression will arrive next year (they just have to sort out some complications first).
]]>Last month, hackers took over Apex Legends for a brief period of time to supposedly encourage the developers at Respawn Entertainment to "save" Titanfall. Both Titanfall games, over the last few months especially, have suffered hacks and DDOS attacks leaving them in a bit of a state. At first glance, it would seem the folks participating in the Apex hack were the good guys who only turned to hacking to trying to raise awareness of their troubles. Nope. It turns out the very same group behind the Apex attack are allegedly the cause of Titanfall's issues too, and it's apparently all part of a messy plot to revive the cancelled spin-off, Titanfall Online.
]]>This week, Apex Legends' latest season Emergence landed, bringing with it the fashionable new tracker, Seer. He's a really cool character too! His kit revolves around firing out microdrones to figure out where enemies are, which, obviously, is very useful when he's on your team. However, given that he's very new and exciting and everyone wants to play him, he's on every team. There is no hiding in Apex anymore. There's not a single place you can go where Seer can't whoosh his lil' nanobots at you. No escape.
Last night, I learned this the hard way when multiple enemy Seers trapped me and pals in a building for what felt like years.
]]>Want to learn everything about the Rampage in Apex Legends? This beastly LMG was added with Season 10 of Apex Legends, and sets itself apart from other weapons both with its high damage per shot and its ability to use Thermite Grenades to overcharge itself for a short time, dramatically increasing its rate of fire.
Learn all the Rampage stats below, from attachments and damage stats to handling and reload times. We'll also walk you through our thoughts on the new Apex Legends weapon as a whole.
]]>Want to learn how to master Seer and his abilities in Apex Legends? Seer made quite the entrance at the beginning of Season 10 of Apex Legends with his undeniably overpowered scanning abilities. Since then, Respawn have updated Seer with a nerf to every part of his toolkit - and so the question now must be: is Seer still a top-tier Legend?
Learn all about Seer's abilities below, along with his fascinating backstory and tonnes of useful, practical, and up-to-date tips and tricks to get the most out of this dangerous Legend.
]]>Apex Legends' new season Emergence kicks off later today, and Respawn Entertainment have now officially revealed all the little changes, buffs and nerfs on the way. The biggest tweaks come to Fuse and Caustic to help make their kits more useful, plus it's time to say goodbye to the Spitfire LMG as it swaps places with the Prowler SMG in the game's supply drops. Finally, my favourite gun will be available on the floor again and… oh no, they've nerfed the Prowler and done away with the Select Fire hop up. Respawn, why?
]]>Looking for the Apex Legends Season 10 patch notes? That's right, Apex Legends: Emergence is about to drop, and now we have a full idea of everything that's changing, from weapon updates and ability changes to a revamped World's Edge, a new LMG, and a whole new Legend. Below you can find the full patch notes for Apex Legends Season 10, so get scrolling!
]]>On this week's episode of Ultimate Audio Bang, Imogen shares some juicy news nuggets with us. Splitgate – a Halo meets Portal FPS – seems to have garnered some serious interest. Naturally, both of us haven't played it. Sounds cool, though. Elsewhere Halo Infinite's doing a thing this weekend, which we also aren't playing. To be fair, we're waiting for John Masterchief's invite. And just to round things off, Apex Legends has a new character, while PUBG might be going free-to-play. It's a stacked one, folks.
]]>Another season, another Apex Legends map getting an explosive facelift. Alright, so this time it doesn't involve actual human-made explosives - World's Edge's volcanic ground has simply had enough of being mined, so it's erupted leaving more lava fissures breaking through the map. We'll be able to explore the new terrain when the next season, Emergence, kicks off on August 3rd. Also, there's a new gun, the new character Seer, and (moving!!) gondolas.
]]>Look, I clearly don't say it often enough when new characters are revealed, so here we are: Seer is my new main in Apex Legends. Dibs have been called. During EA Play Live tonight, Respawn Entertainment showed the new launch trailer for the battle royale's next season, Emergence, and revealed a little more info about the next Legend Seer. Turns out, he can track enemies a little bit like Bloodhound, and his ultimate ability tracks enemies in a big pretty orb.
]]>Come one, come all! Join us in watching Electronic Arts' NotE3 stream, EA Play Live. Kicking off at 6pm BST (or 10am PT for you folks across the pond), EA will have announcements and footage for games like Battlefield 2042, Apex Legends, Lost In Random and potentially even Dead Space, if the rumours are true.
]]>FPS games are a classic PC gaming staple, and whether you've been playing them since the 90s or started your journey more recently with the boom in battle royales, there are plenty to choose from when it comes to the all-time greats. To help you narrow down what to play next, we've created this list of the best FPS games to play right now, from single-player epics to team-based shooters you can play with mates. Heck, some don't even necessarily have guns in them at all, and you may find the odd boomerang or bow in here too.
]]>Who doesn't love a bold fashion choice with a tragic backstory? Respawn have introduced the origin story for their newest Apex Legends character, Seer in a new animated teaser. He's cursed with eyes that can destroy people who look into them. Thus the flash hat, you see. They've not yet explained exactly what kind of abilities that will translate to in the battle royale world of Apex, but Electronic Arts say we'll be finding out more later this week. In the meantime, here's an introduction to Seer.
]]>On this week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang, the video game drought continues, but Imogen managed to pluck some news from the parched earth with her special news detector. The first find - Warzone's huge mid-season update. It promises trucks, which is always a good thing in my books. There's also some chat over Apex Legends new Arena map which is messy, chaotic, goodness.
]]>While Apex Legends' excellent train and ye olde Kings Canyon map have gone away now, Respawn have added a spicy new map to the battle royale's Arenas mode in their place. Last night, the Thrillseekers event kicked off introducing Overflow, a purpose-built Arenas map set in what appears to be the lava-filled zones of World's Edge. I reckon it's the best map they've added yet for the 3v3 mode, and just in time for ranked Arenas to drop next season too.
]]>Now that we're over the E3 hump, Imogen and I thought we'd catch a break on this week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang. But no, the online shooters simply do not stop reloading. PUBG dropped a new map on its test servers, Warzone fixed its murder door, and Valorant's new agent sounds very overpowered.
]]>Apex Legends' Genesis Collection Event started today, introducing lots of new cosmetics as Collection Events often do. But more importantly, this one has put the old versions of the Kings Canyon and World's Edge battle royale maps back into rotation. That means: Skull Town and the train have returned. Between now and July 13th, you'll be able to drop into some of your old favourite drop zones that have since been pulverised in the new map layouts. I played a few games on World's Edge last night, and it felt very strange being back.
]]>Just the other day I was chatting with a friend about how long it'd been since we'd roamed around Skull Town in Apex Legends. The hottest of drop zones was removed (read: obliterated) last year in the battle royale's fifth season, but next week Respawn are piecing it back together for a new event. The Genesis Collection Event kicks off on June 29th, bringing back the original maps for both Kings Canyon and World's Edge. Better yet, not only will Skull Town return to the battle royale mode, but the devs are turning it into an Arenas map too.
]]>Imogen and I recorded this episode of Ultimate Audio Bang last week, as I've been enjoying a few days off this week. We thought it would be a lighter episode, but in fact, we touched on many things in shooterland. Mainly, we focused on pinging, rounded up the news, and we talked about Imogen's knees.
]]>Earlier this month, Apex Legends added a new permanent 3v3 deathmatch mode, Arenas. It's brilliant, with one glaring problem: leavers. It's never fun to lose a few rounds in a row, and it's even worse a teammate outright gives up and abandons you, rather than sticking around to try and pull it back. Thankfully, a new patch released last night has added penalties for players who ditch Arenas matches early.
]]>Warzone Audio Bang has been put to rest... but Ultimate Audio Bang is here to pick up the slack. In this first episode of Ultimate Audio Bang, we try to continue Warzone Audio Bang's legacy. I am channeling James' energy as the pod's new host, and I'm joined by the wonderful Imogen who has good chat and knows a lot about shooters.
And that's what this podcast is all about: online shooters. We're still touching on Warzone, of course, but we're also going to be chatting about different games that involve pulling triggers and pinging targets. You could say it's a natural evolution of Warzone Audio Bang, hence the "Ultimate" bit in the name. Makes sense, doesn't it?
]]>I often find myself bemused by people who buy in-game skins, stickers and tchotchkes for free-to-play multiplayer games. Then I remember that collecting football stickers is the most fun I've ever had by spending money.
For my pocket money placed into Panini's pockets, I got a completed World Cup '94 sticker book. For buying one of four new bundles of items for Apex Legends, you'll now help fund the ALGS Championship prize pool up to $3 million.
]]>It's been just over a week since Apex Legends' ninth season started, and Respawn have already had to tone down one of its new additions, the Bocek Bow. Unfortunately, it just did a bit too much damage, so its numbers are being brought down, and its charge time increased. It's not a huge surprise. Most people I've played Apex with over the last week or so have all had a moment where they've stopped to say: "Huh, this feels a bit too strong".
]]>Ah, I do so love a fresh new glitch with the latest season of my favourite battle royale. Apex Legends' ninth season, Legacy, launched last night, and it came with its fair share of server woes. Those are mostly dealt with, but now players have had a chance to try out the new character Valkyrie, and some of them are finding her abilities have some interesting (read: completely broken) combos with other Legends. Namely, her ultimate keeps throwing her terrified squadmates under the map.
]]>If, like me, you were one of the many excited players eager to jump into Apex Legends last night to try out all the lovely new things added in the battle royale's ninth season, you likely had a rough time logging in. A menu screen telling me there were no servers, the queue for Arenas mode being infinitely long, and losing access to all but the base characters were but a few of the problems I ran into myself. While these things seem to have been fixed now, it's fair to say the Legacy update had a rough go of it.
]]>Today, Respawn adds some of the most exciting stuff to Apex Legends that I think they've added yet. Call me over-excited if you will, but I've tried the new 3v3 Arenas game mode and it's well good. I've also had a go at the new walking Titanfall reference, Valkyrie, and she has a delightfully satisfying jetpack. A jetpack! All the best games have jetpacks. Both of these excellent additions arrived today in Apex's ninth season, Legacy, alongside a new weapon, new maps, and a whole lot of balance changes.
]]>Next week, Apex Legends' ninth season arrives, and with it comes new jetpacking character Valkyrie and the 3v3 Arenas game mode. I gushed about both of these excellent upcoming additions in my preview earlier this week, but today I can show you a video from my time with Arenas so you can get an idea of just how much fun it is. And, like many skirmishes I seem to have in Respawn's FPS, one of my best rounds ended with fisticuffs.
]]>Apex Legends' upcoming ninth season is set to be a big'un. And I thought Season 7 was huge, with a new map and vehicles and all that, but that all seems so old now. Season 9 is bringing a new character with a jetpack as well as a new permanent mode for players who want a break from all the battle royalling - and it's so much fun. Arenas is a new 3v3 mode with quick and tense teamfights in purpose-built maps. I played a few matches during a preview event, and I have to say, it's the most excited I think I've been about an Apex update yet.
]]>My favourite thing about Apex Legends is the movement. Most characters have some sort of fun or interesting way they can zip around the world, and now Respawn have finally introduced the best way to do that: a jetpack. The developers revealed the new Legend Valkyrie last week: she's the daughter of Titan pilot Viper, and she uses parts of his old Northstar mech to jet herself around. I got a chance to try her out at a preview event, and she feels brilliant. However, she has a lot of abilities on top of that rocket-fuelled goodness, so I asked the devs to quell some concerns about power creep.
]]>Apex Legends Arena is a permanent 3v3 Team Deathmatch mode, released as part of the monumental Apex Legends Legacy Update of Season 9. There's a great deal to understand about this mode, from the Shop and Buy Phases to the maps, the scoreboard, and much more.
Below you'll find what I hope to be the definitive guide on the Apex Legends Arena mode, updated for Season 11 and covering everything from how to game works and all the Shop weapon and ability costs to top-tier strategies to help you dominate the Arenas.
]]>Apex Legends' next character is called Valkyrie, and she's the daughter of a Titan pilot you fight in Titanfall 2. She'll be added to the game as part of season 9, which is called the Legacy update.
So it's fitting - and presumably planned - that a lot of folks seem to be playing Titanfall 2 all of a sudden.
]]>Apex Legends' new season is just a couple of weeks away, and today Respawn released a launch trailer announcing a brand new game mode. Named Arenas, it looks like players will soon have the option to duck out of the usual battle royale mode, and jump into a little 3v3 shoot 'em up. Catch the trailer for yourself below; it features lots of cinematic fights, at least ten Mirages having a party, and a first look at new Legend Valkyrie spreading her wings in the Apex Games.
]]>Season 9 of Apex Legends brought one of the biggest updates to Respawn's battle royale since the game's release, introducing a new Legend, tonnes of map changes and balance changes, a whole new game mode, and a brand new weapon: the Bocek Bow.
The Bocek is, as of the time of writing, easily the most popular and powerful Marksman weapon in the game, so let's delve into the Apex Legends Bocek Bow stats for Season 10 and talk about what makes it so powerful.
]]>Season 9 of Apex Legends is fast approaching, and wouldn't it be just like Respawn to offer players a secret challenge they can complete which offers them a glimpse at what to expect when the new Season drops?
Learn about the corrupted keycards and the "Invitation required" holo spray challenge currently overtaking Apex Legends; and use this walkthrough to find all the holo spray locations across both Olympus and Kings Canyon.
]]>Want to learn how to master Bangalore and her abilities in Apex Legends? Valkyrie was Season 9's addition to the Apex Legends roster, and she brought some of the most powerful abilities we've yet seen in the game. You should have a read of our Valkyrie tips and tricks below if you want to master her high skill ceiling.
We cover each of Valkyrie's abilities in great detail on this page, with stats, tips, and strategies galore. We also talk a little about Valkyrie's backstory to catch you up on how Respawn have started to blur the boundaries between Apex and the Titanfall series.
]]>Respawn Entertainment have revealed that the next character jumping into the Apex Legends arena is Valkyrie. She's the daughter of Viper, a villainous Titan pilot you might recognise from Titanfall 2. In a new Stories From The Outlands video, we get a glimpse of Valkyrie as a kid, taking a joy ride in papa's big Northstar mech. Unfortunatley, it seems Apex still isn't getting proper mechs, but Valkyrie will be bringing a few parts of Northstar into the battle royale with her when the new season starts on May 4th.
]]>Over the last year or so, Respawn have been trying out loads of new game modes during Apex Legends' various events. It's been fun to see how even minor tweaks can really change the way you play the battle royale, and starting today there'll be five more modes to try out. The new War Games event kicks off this evening, promising a new mode every three to four days between now and April 27th. It all begins tonight with the Second Chance mode, in which each player will get to instantly respawn once per match.
]]>Want to learn how to dominate Apex Legends as Fuse?That's right, it's possible. Fuse was Season 8's addition to the Apex Legends roster, and his abilities are some of the most explosive in the game. He's far from a top-tier hero, but each Season recently has seen fit to buff him slightly, and now that Season 10 has dropped there's never been a better time to learn how to use his abilities to great effect.
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