Apex Legends developer Respawn Entertainment just announced the next event to hit its award-winning battle royale: The Spellbound Collection Event will introduce a new cosmetic collection to the game (including a new Heirloom Weapon for Seer), alongside a free reward track.
But this new Collection Event is bringing more than just cosmetic goodies to the table--it's also introducing some serious gameplay tweaks. From rewards for spawning into in-progress matches to the ability to create private matches of your own, keep reading for a look at all the changes hitting Apex Legends when the Spellbound Collection Event launches.
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Now Playing: Apex Legends Spellbound Collection Event
But if you're groaning at the thought of getting tossed into an ongoing match, don't worry--as of the Spellbound update, joining an in-progress match now comes with a reward. Players who are sorted into an active match will skip the first spawn wave, spawn with purple armor (helmet included), and instantly gain a full Ratings Tier (read: purple weapons and a fully-charged ultimate). Additionally, all players now receive an extra 150 XP for simply completing a match, regardless of the outcome. Any teams who find themselves struggling will also get a little boost to help even the playing field: If a squad is losing by 62 points or more, they will also skip any spawn waves until the score changes.
During the event, Control will be played on the following maps:
Storm Point: BarometerWorld's Edge: Lava SiphonOlympus: Hammond Labs
Of course, more impactful changes are also on the way. The bug that causes Mobile Respawn Beacons to sometimes spawn an out-of-bounds dropship has been fixed, as have issues with ability previews when entering Wraith's portals. Problems Mirage's decoys were having when deployed too close to one of Wattson's Pylons have also been addressed.
The G7 Scout's damage has been reduced from 34 to 32, and it will be entering the Replicator along with the C.A.R. SMG. The Spitfire and Peacekeeper will return to the ground loot pool. Additionally, the Prowler (the weapon, not the bloodthirsty populace of Storm Point's PvE POIs) has had its damage output increased from 14 to 15, and the Sentinel now requires only one Shield cell to charge instead of two.
The update appears to be mainly devoted to quality-of-life changes. Smaller changes--like a reduction in the gas flash VFX from Caustic's barrels, and all doors now physically appearing damaged whenever they are one hit away from being destroyed--are among these tweaks which, though they are small, are sure to be appreciated by players. Even an issue with one of Bloodhound's skins failing to depict their raven as white is listed among the fixes in the upcoming patch.
The new patch appears largely aimed at improving quality-of-life for Apex players.
It's possible that a previously datamined tutorial trailer may accompany the addition of these challenges, as the fully animated CGI trailer--complete with voiceovers from the legends' voice actors--appeared to be aimed at new players who may need a more in-depth introduction to the game than the current tutorial's offerings. But as with all datamined content, this should be taken with a grain of salt--it's always possible the trailer was scrapped entirely.
There's one final change on the horizon, though it's not yet ready to be unveiled. Earlier this week, Respawn tweeted an image of a graph showing the result of tests the studio has been running on a new skill-based matchmaking system. Players have been vocally critical of Apex's lackluster matchmaking for ages, but the calls for change have increased in recent months, with many players complaining of unbalanced lobbies and begging the game's developer for "mercy." Respawn's tweet--which showed a massive increase in the number of kills the average player gets in a match under the new matchmaking system--was met with excitement and gratitude from the playerbase.
The Spellbound Collection Event begins next Tuesday, January 10, at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, and runs until January 24. You can learn more about the event via Respawn's blog post, or check out the full patch notes from the developers below:
G7 Scout enters the crafterC.A.R. SMG enters the crafterSpitfire returns to the floorPeacekeeper returns to the floorAnvil Receiver Hop-Up
Limb damage multiplier reduced to 0.75 (was 0.9)Flatline damage reduced to 39 (was 43)R301 damage reduced to 32 (was 35)G7 Scout
Damage reduced to 32 (was 34)Prowler Burst PDW
Damage increased to 15 (was 14)Sentinel
Now requires 1 shield cell to Energize (was 2)
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