Apex Legends continues to keep its community and player base active with seasonal updates, hero launches, and the occasional new game modes, but for those without a proper gaming set-up, its smartphone counterpart is the closest it gets to experiencing the battle royale rush. Starting 18 May 2022 (GMT+8), Apex Mobile Legends will be available globally on Android and iOS devices for free, offering a mix of familiar and novel elements for both newcomers and existing players.
Kicking off its first season is an all-new gameplay trailer that showcases Fade in action — a new Legend who’s only exclusive to Apex Legends Mobile. A high-tech super soldier who harnesses powerful phase-shifting technology, his skillset is reminiscent of Tracer’s Rewind ability in Overwatch, which plays around with space and time. Where his tactical, Flashback, allows him to reset himself backward a number of points earlier in an encounter, his ultimate, Phase Chamber, pushes anyone in a blast radius into a phase space, where they are unable to deal or receive damage. Fade will also gain a movement speed bonus while in this state.
Similar to its console and PC versions, Apex Legends Mobile sorts players into a three-man team to pit them against up to 19 other squads in a battle royale format. The game has been built from the ground up, and will feature streamlined and optimised controls for smartphones, alongside existing offerings such as a month-long Battle Pass system, Legend progression, and weekly challenges.
Players can look forward to the following maps and modes at launch:
- Battle Royale on the World’s Edge map
- ⦁ 3v3 Arena mode on Thermal Station, Artillery and Overflow
- An all-new, mobile-first Team Deathmatch mode on Deathmatch and Clash rules across five maps: Market, Artillery, Overflow, Thermal Station, and last but not least, Skull Town
The introduction of Fade to Apex Legends Mobile is likely to spice things up, especially with his kit leaving heavily into a faster-paced, more aggressive play style. He will be joined by nine other Legends from the main game’s roster at launch: Bangalore, Bloodhound, Caustic, Gibraltar, Lifeline, Mirage, Octane, Pathfinder, and Wraith. Newcastle, the new face of Season 13, is not on the list.
The game is co-developed by Lightspeed and Quantum Studios alongside original developer Respawn Entertainment. It can be downloaded from Google Play and the App Store, with more content planned in the pipeline.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Jake Su
A'bidah Zaid
