Apex Legends is one of the most famous FPS Battle Royale games globally. This credits to their regular updates, skins, season resets, and amazing gameplay. In addition, Season 17 of Apex Legends title Arsenal has arrived. We believe the season title is appropriate because, with it, it brings an arsenal of changes to existing World Edge’s map, firing range, other gameplay updates, and introduction of a new Legend, Ballistic, in this article you will find everything you will need to know about what’s new in this latest update of Apex Legends Season 17.
What’s new in Apex Legend Season 17 latest update?
New Legend: Ballistic
A new assault legend named Ballistic is added to the game alongside other changes. He seems to be a fierce character ready to take down anything that stands in his way. The following are his abilities:
- PASSIVE: SLING: This stores a third weapon in his sling. You can access it via the inventory or Character Utility Button. Although, the sling weapon cannot take attachments.
- TACTICAL: WHISTLER: Ballistic shoots a projectile that heats an enemy’s gun as they shoot. This causes them to take damage.
- ULTIMATE: TEMPEST: Teammates close to Ballistic get faster reloads, faster-armed move speed, and Infinite Ammo when he uses his Ultimate. In addition, the sling weapon will be upgraded to gold.
World’s Edge Map Update
It is one of the oldest maps available to play in Apex Legends. Therefore, it was natural for developers to address this map and update it as the game has progressed a lot from its initial stages. Here are all the updates coming to World Edge’s Map in Season 17 of Apex Legends:
New Monument
At the epicenter of the map, players can find a new monument. This museum replaces the fragment of East and West on the map. Furthermore, this new monument has a futuristic look compared to its previous rugged look. This monument also marks the success of Apex Legends since its launch in 2019.
Stacks
The construction stacks are removed from the map. Alternatively, as a replacement, stacks are given a new form making the whole area all about verticality with its interconnected rooftops. This small change will add a new approach to fights in this area.
Lava Updraft changed
The lava updraft has been completely removed from the map of World’s Edge. In the latest update, the lava floor has been raised, allowing players to walk on it. However, it’s best to be careful!
Harvester
After removing the lava updraft, it was only logical that changes would also come to the Harvester. The lava is filled up to the top. There are also plenty of zip lines added that will add new combat strategies players can use in the area.
Skyhook: New Vault
A new vault will be added in Skyhook, which can be found in a tunnel leading to it.
Mirage A Trois
After the update, this POI will only be found in World’s Edge.
Arsenal Season Map Rotation
There will be three maps available for matchmaking in the Battle Royale mode:
- World’s Edge
- Olympus
- Kings Canyon
Weapon Mastery
A new system will be introduced in the latest update of Apex Legends Season 17, focusing on the weapons’ progression.
- Earning kills with different weapons and in different ways will generate XP for that specific weapon. In addition, every 20-Level, a weapon-specific trial will unlock to test your skill. Lastly, completing the quest will grant you a reward.
- Reaching XP level 100 and clearing all 5 quests might result in you winning a legendary skin for that weapon.
Firing Range Updates
The firing range has received a complete revamp, and here are all the details:
- The area has been massively expanded.
- A reorganized layout allows players to find the loot or weapons they are looking for in the firing range.
- Duel pit and agility courses have been added for you to polish up your skills and have fun with your friends
- Lastly, training grounds and customizable dummies are added as well.
New Survival Slot Item: Evac Tower
Evas Tower provides a new way for players to go around the map. Furthermore, it can be used to gain positional advantage over other players.
- Since it is a loot item, you can find it on the floor, in care packages, and loot bin.
- On deploying, the tower will shoot a rocket toward the sky, exploding into a balloon.
- After a while, the anchor will bring the zipline to the ground, and players can use it.
Tip: Evac Tower takes damage over time, so be careful, as enemies might bring it down.
Other Small Update changes in Apex Legends
Ping System Updates
There will be an introduction of 3 new pings:
- Avoid Area
- Enemy Audio
- Regroup
Ranked Update in Apex Legends
- The new matchmaking will be based on hidden skill ratings. Also, players will have a new system for hidden MMR.
- The new ranked update will be more friendly as it will conditionally reward the wins and compensate for the defeats.
- Unlike previous seasons, there will be no split reset. Alternatively, the season will be started with 10 provisional games.
- Furthermore, the minimum level requirement for accounts to be able to play ranks will be changed to 50.
Official Patch Notes
Balance Updates
Crate Rotation
- L-Star EMG enters the crate.
- RE-45 returns to the floor.
Weapon Crafting Rotation
- Alternator SMG enters the crafter.
- Sentinel enters the crafter.
- EVA-8 returns to the floor.
- 30-30 Repeater returns to the floor.
Gold Weapon Rotation
- Flatline, Triple Take, Spitfire, Mastiff, Volt.
Loot Spawns
- Improved Vault Loot
- Increased chances of gold loot.
- Added light mags to the spawn pool.
- Improved Cargo-Bot Loot
- Removed small healing items, Mobile Respawn Beacon, White Armor, and White Backpack.
- Adjusted Large Healing and Heatshield spawns to allow for more desirable loot spawns.
- Removed gold weapons from purple tier Cargo Bots but increased spawn chance in the gold tier.
Weapons
L-Star EMG [Crate]
- Added Disruptor Rounds: 60% damage increase against shields.
- Base Damage Reduced to 16 (was 17).
- Projectiles now have passthrough: 60% of damage retained.
- Projectile growth increased.
- Improved recoil pattern.
- Removed barrel.
- Ammo Stockpile: 324.
- Reduced VFX brightness when hitting unarmored targets.
30-30 Repeater
- Projectile size increased when fully charged.
Triple Take
- Projectile size increased.
- Improved hip-fire spread.
- Tightened bullet pattern when fully choked.
- Ammo per shot reduced to 1 (was 3).
- Magazines sizes adjusted to match the new ammo costs
- Purple Mag: Increased to 10 shots (was 9).
R-99 SMG
- Removed 1 bullet from the base and all magazines
- No Magazine reduced to 19 (was 20)
- White Magazine reduced to 21 (was 22)
- Blue Magazine reduced to 24 (was 25)
Charge Rifle
- Reduced shots per magazine to 3 (was 4)
Legends
Mirage
- The class changed from Skirmisher to Support.
Ash
- Now gets slowed to weapon sprint speed instead of weapon walk speed when targeting with her tac.
Assault Class
- Smart loot gains have been adjusted to reduce skipping an upgrade tier
- It will now be less likely to jump from White to Purple or Blue to Gold.
- Optics are now given based on the team rather than just Assault Legend who opens them.
- Added special drop rate for Gold Optics.
Skirmisher Class
- Care packages are now automatically pinged for the team on reveal. This includes empty Care Packages that another team has already looted.
Support Class
- Support Bins will now guarantee at least one Battery in one of the Secret Compartment slots.
- Support Bins will now award MRBs if your ally is dead, even if you don’t have their banner card.
- Legend Banners can now be crafted by any player with a Support Class Legend in their Squad.
Mixtape
- New Podium screens for Gun Run and Control.
- Display a message in the Kill Feed if Leaver Penalties are disabled for the match due to an unfair match.
- Control and Gun Run will indicate the team’s MVPs on the intro podium.
- Control and TDM have updated load-outs (Crate Weapon changes and updates based on weapon meta/pick rates/kill rates).
- Gun Run and TDM now have XP Bonuses for Match Completion and Match Completion after Join in Progress.
Control
- Map rotation: Barometer is out, Olympus: Hammond Labs is in.
- Weapon Evo Change: No longer Evo weapons automatically when a new Rating Tier is reached. Players now reach the new tier and their weapon will Evo when the player holsters and then unholsters their weapon in any form (reload, weapon switch, manual holster, rides a zipline, performs a skydive, etc).
Gun Run
- Also, the Weapon Track update for new crate weapons.
- Lastly, added an XP bonus on the last weapon knife kill.
Team Deathmatch
- Map rotation: Skulltown is out, and Phase Runner is in.
Bug Fixes
- Prowler: fixed ADS while crouching.
- IMC Armories: fixed specters taking too much damage from arc stars.
- Also, fixed Duos showing NBR challenges instead of BR challenges.
- Fixed comms wheel not being used when a game is over.
- Fixed players glitching inside of loot bins.
- Fixed spectators not receiving audio queues for all types of launch pads/jump pads.
- Fixed flickering of banners during victory and end-of-match screens.
- Scoreboard is saved when a game is finished now, not post-podium sequence.
- Lifetime Stats numbers no longer overlap for more than 7 digits.
- Various lobby ultrawide UI improvements.
Legends
- Ash:
- Steps are no longer louder if the heirloom is equipped.
- Fixed UI loop when crouch inspection is canceled early.
- Ultimate will now persist for the entire duration even if Ash dies while it is active and while players are still traveling through it.
- Bloodhound: White Ravens already in flight can no longer be scanned for free Tacticals and Ult charge.
- Caustic: Fixed traps destroying when placed near closed doors that are then opened.
- Crypto:
- The drone no longer occasionally teleports behind a wall after you throw it.
- Lastly, fixed drones sometimes spawn in the middle of the world when thrown into a wall.
- Loba:
- Fixed visibility issue with Black Market when Bangalore’s smoke is behind.
- Amount head peeks over cover while crouching adjusted to match other Legends.
- Mad Maggie: Improved reliability when hitting objects that the ball will damage or destroy.
- Octane: Removed the double jump hint from the Launch Pad in cases where it would incorrectly show as an option (e.g. after a Pathfinder grapple).
- Rampart: multiple cover walls can no longer be placed in the same spot on a Trident.
- Seer: Dummies in the firing range will now have the same footstep behavior as other players when moving inside of Seer’s Ultimate instead of behaving like other AI (Prowlers, Spiders).
- Valkyrie: Ultimate cooldown is no longer set to 75% after being canceled while in Death Totem protection.
- Wraith:
- Fixed ultimate being usable while ziplining.
- Mythic finisher “Whiplash” no longer pushes players outside of the play area.
Modes
- Mixtape
- Also, in this update, it fixed shields dropped by killed enemies are empty.
- Introduces fix regarding players leaving a match as they will no longer try to join the same match if its join-in-progress window is still active.
- Team Deathmatch
- Fixed grenades not dropping on player death.
- In addition, the fixed Estates map image displays the night variant of the map in the Lobby.
- Control
- Fixed Custom Match Observer issue where it was difficult to close the Map Screen if an Observer had it opened before players spawned in the match.
- Fixed teammates’ death icon not appearing on the map if the map wasn’t open when the teammate died.
- Also, the fixed reserve ammo counter not displaying when switching weapons from Rampart or Vantage’s ultimate ability.
Quality of Life updates
- Bullet impacts VFX on snow reduced.
Add some killer pieces to your wardrobe with the Arsenal Battle Pass.
Electrify onlookers with System Shock Wattson, Singularity Specialist Horizon, and the Reactive Frontier Faithful CAR. All this and more launches tomorrow, May 9 🙌 pic.twitter.com/DHbG9R0nJ4
— Apex Legends (@PlayApex) May 8, 2023
Lastly, what are your thoughts about this update? Also, are you planning to play the new legend? If you have any questions regarding what’s new in the latest update of Apex Legends season 17, feel free to ask in the comments below. For more content, stay with us, here at Spiel Times.
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