Apex Legends Resets the Meta with Its Latest Season

Apex Legends is mixing up the meta with its 24th season, Takeover. As we usher our way into Year 6 of the popular battle royale, Respawn Entertainment is aiming to improve what it already has rather than offering up new dollops of content. And that all starts with a meta reset, as every single weapon is buffed with the upcoming season.

It’s a decision sure to ruffle some feathers, especially as the new playable Legends will be dropping at a “different pace” this year. However, Respawn claims it's trying to make changes to the game that will improve the experience for most players, admitting that new Legends don’t have the same impact that they used to.

It’s an interesting approach in an industry constantly fighting for the attention of gamers, but one that long-term may actually be the right decision for Apex Legends. The meta reset is sure to result in an interesting couple of weeks at the very least, as players experiment with everything from the fan-favourite R301 to the maligned Mozambique.

In addition to the meta reset, Respawn is aiming to streamline and improve the Apex experience with a plethora of quality of life improvements. For starters, Arsenals will be introduced with Takedown, essentially giving players a set destination where they can pick up weapons, ammo or even score a white or blue weapon upgrade. These are sure to be hot drop destinations as they are visible from the dropship and on the map, solving the early game looting issue where players scramble for any semblance of a weapon.

On top of that, we’re seeing changes to armour. Helmets have been practically removed from the game, outside of the Mythic Red Helmet, meaning you’ll want to watch out for those game-ending headshots. The Mythic Red Helmet, which is found in Mythic Bins that randomly drop into the map, is also the only way to gain the red level EVO Shield. EVO shields, which upgrade as you deal damage, will now cap at purple tier without the Mythic Red Helmet. Tweaks in armour are hoping to intensify endgame skirmishes.

However, it’s not all just changes under the hood. Takedown will feature community focused events and modes, designed and inspired by some of the most beloved Apex Legends content creators. These will include things like OG loot pool modes, a collection of community challenges, and creator-selected rewards. While not as big as some previous seasonal additions, for returning players it seems Respawn wants to celebrate its community and have fun with its varied iterations of the famed battle royale.

Takeover certainly feels like a different style of season for Apex Legends, which has struggled in the past with monetisation issues, and slower drops of new content. We’re not entirely convinced that these internal changes are going to be enough for a lot of players, but the hope is that the game is a much more polished and balanced experience when new content does actually drop.

Apex Legends Takeover will launch on PS4 and PS5 on February 11th. Will you be playing around with the meta reset? Hot drop into the comments to let us know.