Apex Legends fans are counting down to the launch of another brand new event on PlayStation, Xbox and PC. The intriguing new Shadow Society event has a March 26 release date and a 5pm GMT UK launch time. Running until April 16, the highlight of the event is the addition of the Lockdown limited-time game mode, which is described as “the first 4-squad free-for-all battle for dominance”. As part of the game mode, Squads will begin with standard loadouts and seek out Capture Zones. Defending the Capture Zones from other teams will earn you points. The twist, however, is that new Capture Zones will pop up as the match goes on, so you’ll need to pay attention if you want to earn the 500 points needed for a win. The game mode will take place on Thunderdome, Skulltown, Zeus Station, and Monument.
The event also coincides with the release of the new Apex Artifacts Mythic Melee cosmetic, starting with the ‘Cobalt Katar’. This can be obtained alongside a host of new items and Legendary Skins via the event pack.
Needless to say, the new Apex Legends event launches alongside a big new update, complete with various balance changes, bug fixes and new features.
As you can see from the patch notes below, developer Respawn has delayed drops for lethal crate weapons until later in the game. This is to avoid situations where teams are overpowered too early.
Elsewhere, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players will be pleased to hear that dynamic scaling no longer incorrectly decreases resolution in performance mode. This should eliminate blur, while maintaining the smoothest possible performance.
You can check out the Apex Legends Shadow Society patch notes below.
Apex Legends Shadow Society Event patch notes…
BALANCE UPDATES
Care Package
• First set of Care Packages
– Care Package weapons removed
– Seasonal Gold weapons now spawn in their place (R-301, RE-45, Mastiff, Devotion, 30-30)
• Second and third set of Care Packages are unchanged
Weapon Spawn Rates
• Assault Rifle and Marksman Rifle spawn rates normalized per zone
MODES
• NEW LTM: Lockdown
– Capture and hold zones to score points
– Lockdown map rotation: Thunderdome, Skulltown, Zeus Station, and Monument
• Three Strikes Updates
– Revive time reduced to 2.0s
– Players revived with 100% health and 0% shields
– New minimum guaranteed loot system – ensures you respawn with a competitive version of your loadout and inventory.
• Mixtape
• Control: Players respawning on the Mobile Respawn Beacon enter a skydive when they exit the dropship
• Kill Replay
– Now show hitmarkers and damage numbers
– Round-winning replays now show the killer’s banner
• NEW Map: Monument
– Supports TDM, Gun Run, and Lockdown
WORLD SYSTEMS
• EVO Harvester
– Changed sound fx that play for both the player and their teammates collecting EVO
– Removed problematic spawn locations on Storm Point near map edges
• EVO Rewards
– Changed for respawning and reviving teammates to prevent exploitation
– Changed for scanning Ring Consoles to prevent excess EVO gain
• Wildlife: Spiders, Prowlers, and other NPC will now respect the rules of the ring, take ring damage, and be affected by heat shields
BUG FIXES
• Dynamic scaling no longer incorrectly decreases resolution on PS5 and Xbox which could cause blur in Performance Mode
• Kill Replay
– Fixed issues with phantom healing UI displaying in round-winning Kill Replays
– Fixed some issues with flickering and mispredictions on some weapons when firing
– No longer crashes client with some weapons while firing
• Mirage’s Heirloom “Too Much Witt” correctly shows its name in kill feed and death recap
• No longer lower the loot quality within the Icarus ship’s vault if Solar Array is the Hot Zone
• Ranked: placement now appears consistently after player or squad is wiped
• Resolved performance hitches after playing a plethora of games back-to-back
• Wattson’s pylons are now properly interrupted by large doors
• World’s Edge: resolved invisible collision issue at Monument preventing shooting
LEGENDS
• Ballistic
– No longer generates ammo when swapping weapon from sling in the inventory
– Lock-on will be more reliable in close range
• Crypto: resolved drone being destroyed by EMPs from invisible players in Firing Range
QUALITY OF LIFE
• Ammo loaded into extended magazines will now be refunded to the player if the extended magazine is removed
• Crypto: new VO line when drone is destroyed by the environment instead of another player
• Default Legend pick (whoever you were in Lobby) now shows as your selection to teammates unless hover over another legend
• NEW Firing Range options
– Dummy Highlights On/Off
– Lock Legend Upgrades
• Jumpmaster selection updated to make it less likely that you’re the jumpmaster if you’re under level 5 or in last match
• Reduced FPS stuttering
• Reactives now appear at the top of lists and have a shimmer effect