Apex Legends Introduces Legend Upgrades in Season 20
Legend Upgrade System Perks, Apex Legends Season 20, Evo Armor Rework
- Legends in Apex Legends will get to choose between special perks whenever they level up their Evo Armor in the battle royal mode.
- Evo Shields have been reworked and removed from the ground loot. It can be leveled up through various means, not just dealing damage.
- The Legend Upgrade System in Apex Legends is the biggest change to the game since it launched in February 2019.
Season 20 of Apex Legends will bring about the biggest change to the game's core experience since its launch in February 2019 according to the developers. The Legend Upgrade System will give players the choice between two upgrades that will either enhance their Legends toolkit or give them a perk that changes their playstyle in some way.
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“The goal of the upgrade system is to allow players to go deeper with legend mastery and flexibility. To create a more intimate and dynamic gameplay experience,” John Larson, Legend Game Designer said.
Legend Upgrade System
All characters in Apex Legends have been given four unique perks, with some agnostic ones across all Legends. These upgrades can be earned during a game of duos, trios, or ranked. In total, over 100 different ability upgrades will be added to the game with the Legend Upgrade System.
This Legend Upgrade System is now a core part of the Apex Legends battle-royale experience starting in Season 20 Breakout.
How does the Apex Legend Upgrade System work?
Whenever a player upgrades their Evo Shield to blue and purple, they will receive a prompt at the top of their screen and be allowed to choose from one of two upgrades. These upgrades can be specific to each Legend and revolve around their abilities, or other game mechanics such as gunplay or revives.
Here are a few examples that players can expect to see in Apex Legends Season 20 Breakout.
- Gibraltar’s Baby Bubble gives him a smaller tactical but lowers its cooldown.
- Gibraltar’s Big Ups revives squad mates with an additional 40 hit points healed.
- Killer Handling auto reloads shotguns when a player gets a knock.
- Mad Maggie had an upgrade that makes her Wrecking Ball rain fire down in a V pattern on its second bounce.
- Octane was able to drop two jump pads in quick succession.
- Last Stand gives the player a self-revive.
- Allied Support makes the player's next ultimate ability a supply drop.
With the addition of over 100 new variables in a battle royale across 25 different Legends, with 60 players can be a lot. Legend Game Designer, John Larson explained how players can expect the status quo to change with the new Legend Upgrade System assuring that core abilities will stay the same.
“Some upgrades improve the specialization of a Legend,” for example the Gibraltar Tiny Bubble upgrade. “And other upgrades might add something new altogether,” referencing the Big Ups or Killer Handling Perk.
He goes on to explain that maintaining game balance was always at the forefront of their minds when thinking about the scope of what Legend upgrades would be. “At its core, we don’t want players thinking wildly different things when they see a Legend on the battlefield. You should be able to understand what abilities could be at play when you see the same Legends,” Larson explains.
Any changes in Legend's abilities will be communicated through adequate tells such as Mad Maggie’s Wrecking Ball turning into a flaming sphere before it rains down fire. One of the goals Larson admits is that they didn’t want to bloat the number of things players have to keep in mind when considering new mechanics.
“We wanted to push players towards personalization and different play styles. Are you more of an aggressive and dynamic Wattson or a defensive one who likes to stay back and control your space?” Larson added.
Be sure to check back after the launch of Season 20 for more information on the different perks and upgrades added to Apex Legends.
How Legend Upgrades Tie-In to Evo Armor Changes
The other big change coming to Season 20 of Apex Legends is an overhaul of the Evo Armor system. Shields will no longer be a lootable object for players to find around the match. Everyone starts with a white Evo Shield and must upgrade it.
This removes the randomness of finding a blue or a purple Evo Armor on the drop and having a significant advantage over other teams. Players who can deal a lot of damage off the drop and upgrade their shields quickly will have the advantage due to their skill and not luck.
But damage isn’t the only way to upgrade your Evo Armor. Players will also be awarded Evo Shield XP by doing things associated with their class role like operating beacons around the map or opening Support and Assault bins. There are even items and canisters players can find that will give them a boost.
The Developers said tying Legend Upgrades to the Evo Armor made the most sense, that way when fighting a squad and dealing damage you can tell what level and how many abilities the enemy team has access to.
For more information on the Evo Shield upgrades check out our full write-up. You can also check out the Full Season 20 Patch notes here.
