Apex Legends Season 16 brings Team Deathmatch, to be the first season without a new hero

Season 16 of Apex Legends is right around the corner, and ahead of that, Respawn Entertainment revealed some new changes to the game. For the first time ever, the new season won’t introduce a new hero/character to the game. Instead, the studio is adding the much-requested Team Deathmatch mode, which pits six players against each other in high-stakes battles. The new season, titled “Revelry,” will also rework classes for its legends, while adding a new energy class weapon called Nemesis. Apex Legends Season 16 kicks off February 14 on all major platforms.

Team Deathmatch, much like Apex Legends’ treasured limited-time modes, will be accessible for the first three weeks of the new season. According to Kotaku, the new game mode will be similar to deathmatches in other games – with no downtime, with quick respawns as players rack up kills for their team. With six players on each side, the first team to get 30 eliminations wins the round. It’s a best-of-three scenario, where winning two rounds earns your team victory. At the start of the match, players will be able to choose a loadout featuring a host of weapons, alongside a grenade. That said, if your team is at a disadvantage, you can switch between heroes at your leisure – like Overwatch – and use their skills to your advantage.

That said, Respawn Entertainment is removing the Arenas game mode from Apex Legends. “At its core, Apex Legends is a Battle Royale and the team wants to help players master the core game mode, and in its current state, Arenas falls short of our goals,” the blog post reads. The idea behind incorporating non-battle royale modes into Apex Legends is to familiarize new players with the game’s main loop, which is to cycle through weapons, characters, and skills, knowledge of which can then be transferred to the main game. Otherwise, you’d see most new players being rolled over by experienced players within minutes of landing on the map.

Respawn also offers a rotating mode playlist for limited-time events. Dubbed “Mixtape,” the new feature is slated to arrive in early March and will allow players to choose from a rotation of TDM, Gun Run, and Control modes – intense situations with little downtime. Additionally, a new weapon – Nemesis – is coming, but the studio hasn’t revealed much beyond confirming that it’s energy-based.

As previously reported, in season 16, the developer is breaking with tradition and will not be releasing a new hero. Instead, the team is reworking its class system by assigning each Legend to one of them. Currently, there are five classes: Assault, Recon, Controller, Skirmisher, and Support. “Each class will now have some sort of unique and meaningful perk, whether it’s how a legend can interact with new loot bins or new ways to revive teammates,” the blog post reads. Previously, the 23 characters on the roster were categorized as Offensive, Defensive, Recon, and Support. More information on this will be revealed in time, according to Respawn.

Season 16 of Apex Legends — Revelry — kicks off February 14 on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. Earlier this month, the studio announced that it was shutting down the mobile version.

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