Five years is a milestone lifespan for any game, especially a live service title, so how does Apex Legends continue to evolve and keep up with an ever-changing, ever-competitive space? Recently, I had the opportunity to speak to several of the development team about this new mode and the history of the Apex games so far, as well as discussing the new limited-time Launch Royale mode that takes you back to the very beginning to round off 2024.
“We’ve changed the game a lot since launch,” design director Evan Nikolich told me. “Season 20 last February was a big change to the armour work, the pick ups and other things. It came around ‘what would it feel like if we went back? What’s the difference between the game we play today and the new game?” When asked why now was the right time to release Launch Royale, Nikolich said that it was now a good time for reflection on how far Apex had come. “It was a good time to show how much we’ve changed and evolved, and to celebrate our history. As we close out the year and head into another anniversary season there will be more change, so why not look back and reflect a little bit?”
Launch Royale is a limited-time mode that takes you back to the original Kings Canyon map almost exactly as it was when Apex Legends exploded overnight after shadow-dropping in 2019. This includes the first eight Legends as they were back then (no upgrades, plus their first sets of abilities) and original weapons that all worked together to mark the start of the Apex games. Even the mode’s teaser trailer, dropped on X the day of the new season launch, was an intentional callback to the first season’s shadow drop.
Depending on when you first dove into the Apex games, Kings Canyon’s original format may well be one you’re fond of (as I am myself). It’s been a long time since the original has been actively playable, but are there any new map secrets for players to look out for? Mode and Events lead Mike Button suggested the introduction of fresh Easter eggs had to balance bringing back a map fans were familiar with.