Apex Legends Season 7 is finally here! After being released on November 4, it is now in full swing with a little bit of time for people to try it out and see how the new meta is going to shape up. With the return of an old classic weapon and then plenty of new stuff too, things are shaping up to be an all-out frenzy! There were also huge changes made to weapons that were considered too strong or even too weak in the previous season. With this list of changes in the game, it is pretty obvious that the meta is going to mold and evolve in many different ways.
New Stuff, Yay!
Adam Fike is a student at Greenville University and player on the varsity team for the Apex Legends esports team.
Every season always brings out a change to the map and a new character to go along with it. However, instead of a change to the map, there is a completely new map this season! This new map is called Olympus and it is an attempt at fixing the problems that World’s Edge had.
Unfortunately, the focus on trying to fix old problems has caused new ones altogether. The map tends to have spots that are way too open and others that are too closed off. The openness has led to third partying being easier than ever and sniping is too easy to set up for. At the same time, other parts of the map are super closed off which makes it far too easy to camp up with characters like Caustic and Wattson. It is hard to find a point on the map that has the sweet balance between the two, so savor the moments that put the ring in those sorts of locations.
The other addition to the game is a new character named Horizon. This character covers an identity that is able to give the team plenty of options to deal with teams. Whether it is a gravity lift to throw off someone’s aim and trap them in the air to get free shots off or a machine called NEWT that creates a miniature black hole that pulls enemies into it, Horizon covers a much-needed role that can do well to counter third parties and give a chance for a breather or a free turn around on the fight. Both of these additions open up for crazy possibilities and a new meta to prepare for.
Old Bird, New Song
This season did not only bring out new stuff, but changes to existing things that had the intention of pushing them in a more balanced direction.
The moment that everyone had been waiting for: the r99 submachine gun has made a return to the ground loot and excited the masses. Last season, it was changed to become a care package-only weapon, but it was found to not really be care package worthy. This transition has excited the masses and brought many back to the golden days of the early seasons.
The hemlok assault rifle was very strong in burst mode last season with its high overall headshot burst damage. This season came a change nerfing headshot damage from the burst mode, but improving the single fire mode overall.
The sentinel sniper rifle was shown some love with a change to how the bonus damage from amplifying it works. The bonus damage will no longer apply to only shields but to health as well.
The L-star saw a change this season that has led it to be deemed “the shredder of season 7.” It got a change to recoil pattern, heat mechanic, and brightness of shots.
Plenty of changes have come through that have made many give weapons a second chance at being in the loadout. Pathfinder has also seen a change to his grapple cooldown to help him fit into the meta better. All of these changes are something that people have been asking for and Respawn definitely delivered!
Meta Changes
Antwon Knight is a senior student at Greenville University. Knight is the captain of the Apex Legends Esports team and the president of the gaming club on campus.
With this shift to a new map, the weapons that shape the meta have pointed in a weird direction. It feels like a repeat of older seasons due to the sheer amount of r99s that are seen throughout every match. There is a huge difference from the older seasons, however, because there are plenty of weapons that can combat the r99 now. On top of that comes the fact that not every ring will end with close enough quarters for the r99 to shine fully. This opens up for changes like the hemlok single fire mode or L-star to take the spotlight.
When it comes to characters, there is a huge push for movement characters (wraith, pathfinder, etc.) to be in multiples on every team due to the huge expanse of the map. Jump towers and the portals are always options, but they are very telegraphed and can get tons of teams in the vicinity in seconds. Bloodhound has also not been seen near as much in general play due to the big areas where it is difficult to scan and pick up where enemies are at. There were also changes to storm damage which made it easy to take a longer route or wide rotation. If the team has multiple movement characters and a utility character with coverage of all ranges of weapons, the team will see a huge amount of success.
Conclusion
Season seven has brought plenty of changes that have not only mixed up the meta but brought about new and interesting ways of playing the team fights. The new map and character have brought a new twist onto the game that may require a second look into team composition and positioning. The changes to other weapons have made it easier to spice up the loadout without getting punished for it. The meta seems to be pushing in a huge movement-based team with the r99 making a return into 80% of the player base’s loadouts. It is a fun new season and it is important to try it out and have fun. What’s the point of playing a game if you take the fun out of it?
