Apex Legends Season 27: Amped goes live on November 4. It arrives with a big map update for Olympus, aerial combat buffs for Valkyrie and Horizon, new compatibility between the Alternator and the Double Tap, and more.
We received early info about the upcoming season from several members of the development team at Respawn. Senior level designer Michael Shannon, Legend designer Ian Holstead, weapons designer Casey O'Brien, and lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese all provided us with details about what's to come in Season 27.
This season's rework for Olympus focuses on verticality and airborne action. Four new points-of-interest have been added, each embracing Olympus's anti-gravity nature in its own unique way. Somers University, Gravity Engine, Stabilizer, and Dockyard are all designed to get players into airborne firefights and moving around the map faster.
Somers University replaces Orbital Cannon and adds high-flying lifts to Olympus, while Gravity Engine replaces Energy Depot with a zone full of high-altitude zip rails. Stabilizer replaces Docks, adding floating, traversible rocks from the planet below to the map proper. Dockyard doesn't replace an existing POI, but, instead, is an upgrade to the camp near Hydroponics.
"For players looking for high kill games, new POIs like Gravity Engine and Somers University bring new hot drop potential to the map, adding Horizon lifts, zip rails, and an emphasis on movement," Shannon said. "Combined with other countless small improvements, we think there is something for everyone in this update."
Somers University on Olympus.
Valkyrie's Season 27 buffs allow her to take full control of the skies with major changes to her entire kit. Her VTOL Jets passive ability recharges three times faster and gains a speed boost. Her Skyward Dive ultimate takes off quicker as well. And, finally, her Missile Swarm tactical no longer harms her if she accidently gets caught in her own crossfire, scans enemies on hit, and forces movement-focused passive abilities of other Legends to enter cooldown.
"Valkyrie was revolutionary when she launched, but the game has caught up with her. What used to be a totally unique ultimate ability now competes with jump towers, and her jetpack just hasn't been keeping pace," Holstead said. "Valkyrie should feel dangerous in motion again, with a modernized jetpack that cuts down the cooldown, boosts flight speed, and is more responsive overall, so you're not just a sitting duck," explained Holstead.
It's true that Valkyrie often feels like an easy target, just floating around in the air, whenever she uses her VTOL Jets for any kind of extended aerial movement. It seems as though these buffs should give her more of a fighting chance, along with a bit more survivability when she decides to take to the skies.
"Instead of feeling like a budget dash, her jetpack now delivers on that jetfighter fantasy. We've also given her ultimate ability sharper quality-of-life upgrades, like faster launches and the new Super Sonic upgrade option, so it's viable in situations it never was before," Holstead said.
Valkyrie firing her Missile Swarm.
Like Valkyrie, Horizon's buffs also improve the movement aspects of her kit. Horizon can now fast-fall by crouching in mid-air, or she can choose to glide out of her Gravity Lift tactical ability, which now offers more aerial control options than it did before. Additionally, Horizon's Gravity Lift has a shorter cooldown, quicker lift speed, and regains charges on knockdowns. The Black Hole ultimate also gets a small upgrade by gaining more health.
"Horizon has stayed powerful in the right hands, but nerfs left her feeling less exciting. Our goal was to give her more fun and movement-based options while restoring a bit of the power that had been taken away," Holstead said. "Horizon reclaims her role as the master of verticality, with sharper, more fluid tools for both aerial dominance and quick re-engagement. By restoring her movement fantasy, we've made her kit both fun and formidable."
Horizon using her Gravity Lift against Conduit.
Rampart is also receiving a notable buff in Season 27, with a better Amped Cover tactical ability that gets stronger over time. Her walls now gain higher health pools as your own Evo level increases, regenerate health when they're not being shot at, and include a new roof to block incoming fire from above. While behind the Amped Cover, you and your allies will also now get faster reloads and infinite ammo. This is a much-needed buff tune-up for a Legend that has fallen into a niche behind the other controller Legends in the game (like Wattson and Caustic).
"Rampart's always had a strong fantasy, but her walls didn't always deliver beyond poke fights. We wanted her to cover to matter in more situations, especially late game. This season, we've doubled down on her tactical identity," Holstead said. "Rampart is less static and more dynamic, turning defense into momentum with infinite ammo, faster reloads, and walls that regenerate. Her toolkit shifts her from a static defender to a springboard to help her squad push."
Rampart firing from behind her improved Amped Cover.
Players have been suggesting Respawn add Double Tap Hop-Up compatibility to the Alternator for some time now, seeing as the submachine gun has two barrels but only fires one at a time--hence the name "Alternator." This update allows the Alternator to fire both barrels at once if you unlock the Double Tap Hop-Up attachment, giving it more close-range firepower. Hop-Ups were removed from ground loot in Season 26, so now you need to unlock the pre-attached Double Tap Hop-Up through the new in-match points system.
"This Double Tap is unlike any other version we've so far introduced into Apex Legends. The Alternator's Double Tap Hop Up takes the speed of velocity to a whole new level by firing both shots at the exact, yes, exact, same time. It's incredibly deadly at closer range, and most importantly, incredibly fun," O'Brien said.
Season 27 makes changes to movement, too. When done correctly, a Mantle Boost gives you a little burst of speed that launches you forward after climbing up from ledges or walls, but it's not a feature that the average player likely even knows about. The devs are looking to change that in Season 27.
"We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so players can easily see when and how to activate the high-octane movement ability, opening up the mechanic and introducing new ways to play for a much wider base of players," Cavanese said. "In the name of velocity, it only felt right to bring back in the 'hot wheels,' which brought with it some necessary quality-of-life changes like visual damage and better collision."
Rampart performing a Mantle Boost.
Wildcard mode was added in Season 26. It’s a new permanent battle royale party mode that prioritizes fun over game balance through Wild Card items that give players exciting abilities. It also contains Mythic versions of weapons as floor loot, making everyone feel extremely powerful.
Wildcard is changing things up a bit to keep the gameplay fresh going into Season 27. You'll be able to play on Olympus in Wildcard this season, and the limited-time Supersonic Event will bring Legendary skins for Horizon, Crypto, Sparrow, Mirage, and Catalyst to the game. The event will run from November 18 to December 16.
Other new surprises in the mode include a Mythic R-99 that fires Valkyrie's Missile Swarm tactical ability and several new cards, including Burning Rubber (leaves a trail of fire wherever you go) and Extra Zippy (refills shields on ziplines and zip rails).
Apex Legends is available for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Switch, and PC. All versions support cross-play and cross-progression.
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We received early info about the upcoming season from several members of the development team at Respawn. Senior level designer Michael Shannon, Legend designer Ian Holstead, weapons designer Casey O'Brien, and lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese all provided us with details about what's to come in Season 27.
New heights for Olympus
This season's rework for Olympus focuses on verticality and airborne action. Four new points-of-interest have been added, each embracing Olympus's anti-gravity nature in its own unique way. Somers University, Gravity Engine, Stabilizer, and Dockyard are all designed to get players into airborne firefights and moving around the map faster.
Somers University replaces Orbital Cannon and adds high-flying lifts to Olympus, while Gravity Engine replaces Energy Depot with a zone full of high-altitude zip rails. Stabilizer replaces Docks, adding floating, traversible rocks from the planet below to the map proper. Dockyard doesn't replace an existing POI, but, instead, is an upgrade to the camp near Hydroponics.
"For players looking for high kill games, new POIs like Gravity Engine and Somers University bring new hot drop potential to the map, adding Horizon lifts, zip rails, and an emphasis on movement," Shannon said. "Combined with other countless small improvements, we think there is something for everyone in this update."
Somers University on Olympus.
Own the skies with Valkyrie
Valkyrie's Season 27 buffs allow her to take full control of the skies with major changes to her entire kit. Her VTOL Jets passive ability recharges three times faster and gains a speed boost. Her Skyward Dive ultimate takes off quicker as well. And, finally, her Missile Swarm tactical no longer harms her if she accidently gets caught in her own crossfire, scans enemies on hit, and forces movement-focused passive abilities of other Legends to enter cooldown.
"Valkyrie was revolutionary when she launched, but the game has caught up with her. What used to be a totally unique ultimate ability now competes with jump towers, and her jetpack just hasn't been keeping pace," Holstead said. "Valkyrie should feel dangerous in motion again, with a modernized jetpack that cuts down the cooldown, boosts flight speed, and is more responsive overall, so you're not just a sitting duck," explained Holstead.
It's true that Valkyrie often feels like an easy target, just floating around in the air, whenever she uses her VTOL Jets for any kind of extended aerial movement. It seems as though these buffs should give her more of a fighting chance, along with a bit more survivability when she decides to take to the skies.
"Instead of feeling like a budget dash, her jetpack now delivers on that jetfighter fantasy. We've also given her ultimate ability sharper quality-of-life upgrades, like faster launches and the new Super Sonic upgrade option, so it's viable in situations it never was before," Holstead said.
Valkyrie firing her Missile Swarm.
Defy gravity with Horizon
Like Valkyrie, Horizon's buffs also improve the movement aspects of her kit. Horizon can now fast-fall by crouching in mid-air, or she can choose to glide out of her Gravity Lift tactical ability, which now offers more aerial control options than it did before. Additionally, Horizon's Gravity Lift has a shorter cooldown, quicker lift speed, and regains charges on knockdowns. The Black Hole ultimate also gets a small upgrade by gaining more health.
"Horizon has stayed powerful in the right hands, but nerfs left her feeling less exciting. Our goal was to give her more fun and movement-based options while restoring a bit of the power that had been taken away," Holstead said. "Horizon reclaims her role as the master of verticality, with sharper, more fluid tools for both aerial dominance and quick re-engagement. By restoring her movement fantasy, we've made her kit both fun and formidable."
Horizon using her Gravity Lift against Conduit.
Lock down the ground with Rampart
Rampart is also receiving a notable buff in Season 27, with a better Amped Cover tactical ability that gets stronger over time. Her walls now gain higher health pools as your own Evo level increases, regenerate health when they're not being shot at, and include a new roof to block incoming fire from above. While behind the Amped Cover, you and your allies will also now get faster reloads and infinite ammo. This is a much-needed buff tune-up for a Legend that has fallen into a niche behind the other controller Legends in the game (like Wattson and Caustic).
"Rampart's always had a strong fantasy, but her walls didn't always deliver beyond poke fights. We wanted her to cover to matter in more situations, especially late game. This season, we've doubled down on her tactical identity," Holstead said. "Rampart is less static and more dynamic, turning defense into momentum with infinite ammo, faster reloads, and walls that regenerate. Her toolkit shifts her from a static defender to a springboard to help her squad push."
Rampart firing from behind her improved Amped Cover.
Weapon and movement improvements
Players have been suggesting Respawn add Double Tap Hop-Up compatibility to the Alternator for some time now, seeing as the submachine gun has two barrels but only fires one at a time--hence the name "Alternator." This update allows the Alternator to fire both barrels at once if you unlock the Double Tap Hop-Up attachment, giving it more close-range firepower. Hop-Ups were removed from ground loot in Season 26, so now you need to unlock the pre-attached Double Tap Hop-Up through the new in-match points system.
"This Double Tap is unlike any other version we've so far introduced into Apex Legends. The Alternator's Double Tap Hop Up takes the speed of velocity to a whole new level by firing both shots at the exact, yes, exact, same time. It's incredibly deadly at closer range, and most importantly, incredibly fun," O'Brien said.
Season 27 makes changes to movement, too. When done correctly, a Mantle Boost gives you a little burst of speed that launches you forward after climbing up from ledges or walls, but it's not a feature that the average player likely even knows about. The devs are looking to change that in Season 27.
"We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so players can easily see when and how to activate the high-octane movement ability, opening up the mechanic and introducing new ways to play for a much wider base of players," Cavanese said. "In the name of velocity, it only felt right to bring back in the 'hot wheels,' which brought with it some necessary quality-of-life changes like visual damage and better collision."
Rampart performing a Mantle Boost.
Wildcard updates
Wildcard mode was added in Season 26. It’s a new permanent battle royale party mode that prioritizes fun over game balance through Wild Card items that give players exciting abilities. It also contains Mythic versions of weapons as floor loot, making everyone feel extremely powerful.
Wildcard is changing things up a bit to keep the gameplay fresh going into Season 27. You'll be able to play on Olympus in Wildcard this season, and the limited-time Supersonic Event will bring Legendary skins for Horizon, Crypto, Sparrow, Mirage, and Catalyst to the game. The event will run from November 18 to December 16.
Other new surprises in the mode include a Mythic R-99 that fires Valkyrie's Missile Swarm tactical ability and several new cards, including Burning Rubber (leaves a trail of fire wherever you go) and Extra Zippy (refills shields on ziplines and zip rails).
Apex Legends is available for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Switch, and PC. All versions support cross-play and cross-progression.
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