Season 9 of Apex Legends started on May 4. The Legacy Update that accompanied it added a bevy of content to the free-to-play shooter, which Xbox players can now enjoy without an Xbox Live subscription.
Beyond adding new maps and a new character, Season 9 also introduces a new mode that takes the game out of the Battle Royale genre. Whether you're a new fan entering the Arenas or a lapsed fan back for more carnage, Apex Legends Season 9 has a little something for everyone.
New Mode: Arenas
Arenas brings three vs. three elimination deathmatches to Apex Legends and might be the best way for new players to jump into the game. Similar to the gameplay in two of Legends' biggest competitors on PC, Valorant and Counter-Strike, the matches take place in rounds with a best of three out of five (with a two-point lead required) format. From the spawn room, players have access to a shop, from which they can buy everything from weapons to new abilities for their Legends. Ties are settled with Sudden Death overtime.
Arenas features five maps at launch, including two made specifically for the mode. Party Crasher takes place in a downtown plaza. Fights can break out on the plaza's two-story buildings or the crashed Mirage Voyage ship. Phase Runner features a phase tunnel with entrances on both team's starting ends, meaning the battle can begin quickly for teams that don't want to take advantage of the map's wide-open spaces for long-range combat.
New Character: Valkyrie
Jetpack sporting Kairi Imahara, codenamed Valkyrie, might seem like Apex Legends' answer to Overwatch favorite Pharah. Like Pharah, she's the daughter of a character who's an important part of the game's lore. Her father is Viper, a member of the Apex Predators from Titanfall 2. Valkyrie salvaged her father's Titan and, with help from fellow Legend Rampart, made her jetpack out of it.
Valkyrie's passive ability, VTOL Jets, allows her to traverse levels. Initially, it can help her traverse uneven terrain and rise quickly. By pressing the jump button in the air, Valkyrie enters jet mode, where she can ascend quickly or move forward steadily if Alternate Fire is held down. Unlike her Overwatch counterpart, she can't fire her weapon while moving.
Her tactical ability, Missile Swarm, fires mini-rockets at enemies, causing significant damage and disorientation. One way in which she trumps Pharah is her ultimate, Skyward Dive. It allows her to reposition herself and her teammates on a map. It's an ability that could seriously alter the outcome of a match, getting Valkyrie and her team out of perilous situations. Valkyrie also works well as a Recon Legend. She can scan survey beacons to reveal the map's next ring location.
New Weapon: Bocek
The latest step in the evolution of bows in video games, the Bocek (pronounced bow-check) compound bow follows most closely in the footsteps of Destiny 2's bow-class weapons. Unlike in single-player games like Horizon Zero Dawn and the Tomb Raider reboot games, the Bocek isn't a stealth weapon. It's not a silenced weapon, and it's not intended for stalking other players on the map.
The Bocek is a weapon in the new Marksman category. It's drawn by holding down the fire button. The longer the button is held down, the more the damage of the shot is charged. The Bocek adds Arrows to the game's ammunition types, which are unique to bows. The Bocek can be modified with two exclusive new mods; Shatter Caps and Deadeye’s Tempo. Shatter Caps slit arrows to create a shotgun-style spread. Deadeye's Tempo reduces draw time and increases power with perfect timing on a draw. Both mods can both be equipped at the same time.
Changes To Olympus
Olympus, first introduced in Season 7, is now overrun by vegetation from the crashed ship Icarus. Beyond being responsible for Olympus's infestation, the Icarus adds four major areas to the map. Players can even access its locked bridge if they can find its keycard. In addition to these major changes, there's also a meta tweak. Two Redeploy Balloons have been removed to ensure better game balance.
New Starter Kit And Loot Tweaks
Players begin every match with a Starter Kit. It includes a Level 1 EVO Shield, Helmet, and Knockdown Shield, as well as two Shield Cells and Syringes. Level 1 Helmets and Knockdown Shields have been removed from the Loot Pool, while Level 1 Evo Shields' spawn chances have been greatly reduced. The Loot Pool has also been rebalanced so that items like weapons, ordinance, health, and ammo will appear more often. These changes were made to make loot feel more impactful to the game and help alleviate the chaos of "hot drops."
New Skins & Emotes
In-game emotes have been added to the game. All of the Legends has one emote unlocked. The rest can be found in Apex Packs or crafted. They can be used everywhere, from the starting room to the winner's podium. Anticipating that the third-person view of emotes could be used for an unfair competitive advantage, enemies you can't see in first-person won't be visible with emotes due to an "Anti-Peek" feature, which players cannot turn off.
Players can earn two new Japanese mythology-inspired skins in Season 9's Battle Pass. Rampart's Crafty Kitsune Skin unlocks at Premium Level 25, while Wraith's Demon Whisper skin unlocks at Level 50. A Valkyrie skin is among the free rewards that all players can earn as well. Other cosmetic items, like gun charms, gun skins, and holo sprays, are also included in the Battle Pass.