Apex Legends Season 20, titled “Breakout”, launched on February 13th, 2024 and introduces some of the biggest changes the game has seen since its initial release in 2019. After over 5 years, Respawn Entertainment has implemented a wide variety of new features and mechanics that drastically change how Apex is played.
This article will provide an overview of all the major additions, changes, updates and quality-of-life improvements arriving in Apex Legends Season 20.
New Legend: Catalyst
The new playable Legend arriving in Season 20 is Catalyst, whose real name is Cleo Bryson. As the name suggests, Catalyst has powers related to manipulating crystals and can use them both offensively and defensively.
Backstory and Lore
Catalyst hails from the planet Boreas where her people can manipulate and command crystals at will. She worked as an architectural designer before coming to the Apex Games. Her arrival ties into the ongoing Lore involving Mad Scientist Singh Labs and the discovery of Branthium – a powerful new energy source with connections to Catalyst’s abilities.
Abilities
- Passive – Crystal Creation: Standing near loot bins allows Catalyst to slowly generate barrages of crystals she can use to aid her squad.
- Tactical – Piercing Spikes: Catalyst launches crystals in a straight line or spreads them out through structures. The spikes damage and pierce enemies.
- Ultimate – Darkened Veins: Catalyst creates interwoven hexagonal planes which obscure vision and highlight enemies who pass through it in green outlines.
Her abilities allow her to shape the battlefield to her team’s advantage whether by damaging enemies who push or allowing for safe retreats and rotations.
New Features
Season 20 introduces some massive new features that redefine core aspects of Apex Legends like progression, shields and abilities.
Legend Upgrades
Legends can now unlock upgrades for their abilities through the new Legend Upgrade system. Using materials found across maps, players can upgrade 2 abilities each match.
Upgrades provide enhanced properties like reduced cooldowns, more charges, larger projectile size and other bonuses. This allows far more customization and progression for mains beyond just unlocking new Legends.
New Shield System
The shield system faced a complete overhaul in Season 20 designed to increase risk vs reward. All shields were removed from ground loot and can now only be earned by destroying drones that spawn intermittently around maps.
This massively changes how players approach looting and rotations. Removing RNG around shield loot quality also puts more emphasis on gun skill. Players can no longer get early advantages through luck alone.
4 drones spawn per match with higher tier shields provided as circles close in:
- White Shield Drone
- Blue Shield Drone
- Purple Shield Drone
- Red Shield Drone
Leveling Changes
The player level cap was increased from 500 to 750 along with changes to pack rewards at different tiers. A key addition was introducing free Legend Tokens starting at level 251 to allow players to continuously earn access to new characters as they release.
Players now also earn more Apex Packs as they progress through higher levels, providing more rewards beyond the previous cap.
Gameplay Updates in Apex Legends Season 20
Season 20 massively shakes up gameplay dynamics with the new shield system, legend upgrades and other mechanics updates.
New Hop-ups
Two new hop-ups were introduced this season:
- Instigator Rounds: Ramps up rate of fire over time while aiming down sights but harder to control recoil
- Slip Rounds: Reduced recoil and projectiles ricochet once off hard surfaces but less projectile speed
These provide new options to diversify weapon builds for different ranges and playstyles.
Ammo Changes
Stack counts for ammo were adjusted for better early game:
- Shotgun shells increased from 16 to 24
- Light/Heavy ammo reduced from 80 to 60
- Sniper ammo increased from 20 to 28
- Arrows reduced from 48 to 36
Horizon Perks
Horizon’s abilities now provide squad-wide perks when used effectively:
- Gravity Lift – Reduced aerial sway
- Black Hole+Void Skiff – Fast heals inside
- Black Hole – Pulls in Jump Towers/Explosive Holds
- Improved Air Control – Easier to maneuver
This improves her teamplay potential through smarter coordination and playmaking rather than just raw damage numbers.
Ranked Changes
Ranked Leagues faced a soft reset at the start of Season 20 along with ranked scoring adjustments. Assists were also made more valuable to promote teamwork.
The updated ranks are:
- Bronze IV
- Silver IV
- Gold IV
- Platinum IV
- Diamond IV
- Master & Predator
It’s easier to gain RP early but gets exponentially harder at higher tiers due to tweaked entry costs. This compresses the skill curve for the average player while retaining prestige at the top levels.
Battle Pass
Season 20’s battle pass contains the usual slew of cosmetic items – skins, animations, frames etc along with two prestige legend skins. Owners can unlock the new Plague Doctor Revenant and Cyberpunked Wattson skins.
Events
The Warriors Collection event runs for the first two weeks and has a Greek mythology theme. It adds a new mode called Clash where small squads battle with unlimited respawns and a new Domination scoring system. There are also Town Takeover POIs related to Catalyst’s backstory across both Kings Canyon and World’s Edge.
Conclusion
Apex Legends Season 20: Breakout shakes up every aspect, from progression to gameplay and is easily the biggest update since the game’s launch. There are plenty of meta and balance shifts still to settle, but the future looks bright for Respawn’s popular hero shooter.
FAQs
Here are some commonly asked questions and answers about Apex Legends Season 20:
What are the new weapons added in Season 20?
No new weapons were added for base loot in Season 20. The only weapon change was the introduction of new hop-ups – Instigator Rounds and Slip Rounds.
How does the new shield system work?
Shields have been completely removed from ground loot. The only way to get shields is from destroying shield drones that spawn throughout matches. 4 drones will spawn per match that provide White, Blue, Purple and Red shield upgrades.
Can abilities be upgraded every match?
Yes, the new Legend upgrade system allows selecting 2 abilities to upgrade each match using materials found as loot across the maps. Players can choose different abilities to upgrade in different matches.
How long will Season 20 last?
Like previous seasons, Season 20 will likely run for 3 months before ending around May 2024. There will be a mid-season split between Kings Canyon and World’s Edge per usual.
