Apex Legends, launched on February 4, 2019, recently celebrated its fifth anniversary. Respawn Entertainment deserves praise for creating one of the most enjoyable and engaging battle royale (BR) experiences to date. Over the last five years, the developers have introduced numerous new legends, balanced existing ones with buffs and nerfs, and reworked legends like Revenant to better fit into the game.
Apex Legends Gets a All-New Perk System
However, while the core gameplay of Apex Legends has remained consistent, with each legend possessing a passive, tactical, and ultimate skill, Apex Legends Season 20 introduces a significant augmentation: the “Legend Upgrades” perk system. Curious about how this system operates and what perks it offers to legends? We’ve delved into these details and more, so let’s explore further!
The Legend Upgrades system is innovative, offering more than just a one-time ability unlock to buff your character. It’s an in-match progression system linked to the player’s EVO Shield tier, upgrading both armor and abilities simultaneously. However, the perk progression resets at the end of each match, requiring players to earn their EVO in each match to unlock them.
To enable this system, Respawn has overhauled the EVO Shield. Details of these changes can be found here. With numerous new methods to earn EVO, increased EVO amounts for each tier, and other adjustments, the EVO Shield has undergone significant changes.
However, the question remains: how does EVO interact with legend abilities and perks?
How Do You Unlock Legend Upgrades?
It’s actually quite straightforward. “As players progress through EVO Shield tiers, they will choose Ability Upgrades, customizing their Legend to their personal playstyles and the challenges of battle.” as unveiled in the official press material. Here’s a more detailed explanation:
During an ongoing match of Apex Legends, you will have two opportunities to choose legend upgrades. The first upgrade is unlocked when you reach the blue EVO Shield tier, while the second perk choice becomes available upon upgrading to a purple armor.
Starting with Breakout, each legend in Apex Legends comes equipped with “four perks” in the game, with two unlocking at each juncture. These perks allow players to customize their playstyle, unlock abilities not available at the start of the match, and alter how their favorite legends feel and play in-game.
According to Respawn Game Designer John Larson, the new Legend Upgrades system provides the development team with “another lever when it comes to legend balancing.” This capability allows the team to adjust perks or replace them entirely as needed. Importantly, these changes won’t affect the core abilities of any legend, but they can help define competitive metas quickly in the future.
During a virtual session with the developers, we learned about a few select legend upgrades, including those for Gibraltar, Mad Maggie, and Lifeline, among others. For example, Maggie will be able to upgrade to a fiery wrecking ball, Gibraltar can choose between a smaller bubble that recharges quicker or a larger bubble with a longer duration, and Lifeline’s surprising perk choice includes self-revive or the Red-drop Care Package.
Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of legend perks once the Season 20 update goes live. For now, Respawn aims to evolve gameplay and legend metas with these upgrades while preserving the core mechanics that define Apex Legends.
Which legend do you main in Apex Legends, and are you looking forward to discovering their perks? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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