Season 13 of Apex Legends is here with a new defensive legend. Plus, a dead beast washes up on Storm Point and majorly overhauls the ranked system.
Newcastle is the latest Legend joining the fray.
Apex Legends, the battle royale shooter set in the Titanfall universe, has ushered in season 13. Titled Saviors, the season introduces a new hero and substantial changes to the ranked system.
The launch of Saviors follows Apex's third anniversary celebration, which kicked off in February. Alongside a new battle pass, players get a heap of fresh content as well as myriad balance tweaks to weapons and other items.
Loba mains be warned: Some players are also reporting that Loba's tactical ability is broken in season 13, sometimes preventing her from teleporting when she tosses her bracelet. The ability worked somewhat consistently when I tested it in Arenas, but not 100% of the time.
Before you dive in, here's what you need to know about the new Apex Legends season.
Apex Legends season 13 began at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) on Tuesday, May 10, on all platforms. Seasons typically last three months, so the season should run through early or mid-August.
Season 13 introduces the Legend Newcastle, a defensive specialist and brother to Bangalore. If you've ever wished you could just build a castle in the middle of the battlefield, Newcastle is your hero. He joins other defensive Legends like Gibraltar and Wattson by providing cover and protection for teammates.
Here's a breakdown of Newcastle's abilities:
Three years after Apex Legends launched, developers at Respawn decided the ranked system needed an overhaul. Apex season 13 majorly reworks the ranked experience, focusing more on team play and better measuring and rewarding skill.
Many of these changes make it easier to earn ranked points (RP) if your team performs well and you contribute to your team's kill count. Other changes are aimed at ensuring rankings are an accurate measure of player skill.
Here's a quick summary of how ranked games are changing in Saviors.
For full details, check out Apex Legends' blog post on the ranked update.
Season 13 changes up the Storm Point map with a few new additions. The most noticeable will be the washed-up carcass of the Downed Beast, which we saw in the Saviors cinematic last month. You'll be able to fight around, on top of and even inside the creature, where you'll find a high-tier loot zone.
Storm Point is also getting IMC Armories: new bunkers that add a PvE element to the game. Take out waves of hostile Spectres inside the armories -- if you survive for 60 seconds, you'll earn loot and the ability to launch out of the armory. Killing more Spectres earns you better loot.
For full details, check out Apex Legends' blog post on the Storm Point updates.
With every new season comes a new battle pass, and Saviors is no different. The Apex season 13 battle pass is themed around knights and dragons, which lines up pretty nicely with the vibe and look of Newcastle. You'll get the usual assortment of Apex coins, crafting metals and Apex packs in addition to epic skins for Newcastle, Mad Maggie and Pathfinder.
You can check out the Apex season 13 patch notes for the full details on Survivors, but here are a few final changes worth calling out:
For more gaming coverage, check out our thoughts on the Overwatch 2 PVP beta and our guide to playing Elden Ring.