- Apex Legends Season 20 introduces 'Legends Upgrade', a brand-new in-game progression system linked to EVO Shields.
- Players can choose from four different perks, unlocked on upgrading to blue and purple shields in-game.
- The perk progression is reset after each match ends, and you need to earn EVO again in the next match to unlock upgrades.
Launched on February 4, 2019, Apex Legends recently celebrated its fifth anniversary, and Respawn should take a bow for creating one of the most fun and engaging battle royale (BR) experiences of all time. The last five years have seen the developers add several new legends, balance existing legends with buffs and nerfs, and rework legends (Revenant) to fit into the game better.
Apex Legends Gets a Brand-New Perk System
However, the game has mostly stayed the game, where each legend had a passive, a tactical, and an ultimate skill. That core gameplay is being augmented with a new “Legend Upgrades” perk system in Apex Legends Season 20. How does the perk system work? What perks do legends have? We’ve answered all that and more here, so let’s dive in!
The Legend Upgrades system is pretty neat as it’s not a one-time ability unlock that you can use to buff your character. It’s an in-match progression system that is tied to the ‘EVO Shield tier’ of the player. Your armor and your abilities are upgraded at the same time. The perk progression is reset after each match ends, and you need to work towards your evo in each match to unlock them.
To make this possible, Respawn has completely reworked the EVO Shield, and you can read about all the changes right here. There are a lot of new ways to earn EVO now, the EVO amount for each tier has been increased, and a lot more.
But the question remains – how does EVO work with legend abilities and perks?
How Do You Unlock Legend Upgrades?
Well, it’s pretty simple actually. “As players advance through EVO Shield tiers, they’ll select Ability Upgrades, tailoring their Legend to personal playstyles and demands of battle,” as revealed in the official press material. Let me elaborate on that.
You will have two instances to choose legend upgrades in an ongoing match of Apex Legends. Yes, I saw the leaks (sucks, yeah) but they were correct. The first upgrade is unlocked when you reach the blue EVO Shield tier. The second perk choice is available upon upgrading to a purple armor.
Starting with Breakout, each legend comes equipped with ”four perks‘ in the game (two unlock at each juncture). You can select perks that elevate your playstyle, unlock abilities that aren’t available at the start of the match, and change how your favorite legend feels and plays in-game.
As mentioned by Respawn Game Designer John Larson, the new Legend Upgrades system gives the team “another lever when it comes to legend balancing.” This will enable the team to tweak perks or swap them out altogether if the need arises. This won’t affect the core abilities of any legend and can help define comp metas quickly in the future.
Now, during a virtual session with the devs, we were able to learn only a select few legend upgrades, such as those for Gibraltar, Mad Maggie, and Lifeline, among others. For example — Maggie will be able to upgrade to a fiery wrecking ball, Gibby gets to choose between a small bubble that recharges quicker or a bigger bubble with a longer duration. On the other hand, Lifeline is getting a surprising perk choice – self-revive (👀) or Red-drop Care Package.
We will bring you a complete list of legend perks once the Season 20 update goes live, so stay tuned. For now, Respawn is looking to evolve the gameplay and legend metas with these upgrades without touching the core mechanics that make Apex, well, Apex!
So, what legend do you main in Apex Legends and are you excited to learn about their perks? Let us know your thoughts on this change in the comments below.
