Apex Legends' writer confirms the game's tie-in with fellow EA shooter game, Titanfall 2. Read on to learn more about the writer's insights and what's in store for Apex in Season 20.
Apex Legends Celebrates 5th Anniversary with Season 20: Breakout
Writer Ashleey Reed Confirms Season 20's Tie-In With Titanfall 2
Ashley Reed, the lead writer of Apex Legends, confirmed Season 20's tie-in to the Titanfall franchise, in an interview with GameSpot yesterday. Before Apex Legends came into the scene, its developer Respawn was known for its 2014 debut shooter game, Titanfall.
Despite being separate entities, many of Apex Legends' assets and gameplay mechanics were inspired by Titanfall 2, as previously revealed by Apex's Design Director Mackey McCandlish in 2019. As Apex Legends marks its fifth anniversary this month, Season 20: Breakout promises exciting new features in celebration.
Apex introduces a new system called Legend Upgrade that gives players the agency to shape the meta. Likewise, a revamp on Ranked matches, tier scoring, and matchmaking, among others are coming in Season 20. "Plus, make your Thunderdome debut in Mixtape, the Frontier’s deadliest entertainment venue. And that’s not all—Performance Mode, Breakout Rewards, a 5th Anniversary Collection Event, and even more. We’re bringing the noise for a fantastic 5th Anniversary season," read Apex's announcement.
Reed explained that Season 20, being an anniversary season, will prioritize the celebration of the game over plot-heavy elements. "Typically, with the anniversary seasons—the first season of the year—we try to let the celebration take center stage, so we try not to introduce a lot of plot-heavy stuff during the anniversary season," Reed explained to GameSpot.
However, the lead writer revealed that Season 20's narrative arc revolves around Mary Somers, otherwise known as the Legend "Horizon," and potentially Ash. As brought to the attention of the gaming media and fans alike, the Season 20 launch trailer hinted at the game's tie-in to Titanfall, as Horizon was shown looking at what appeared to be a part of the wrist device, called Time Gauntlet, from Titanfall 2.
"You're on the right track; I think you saw it," Reed told GameSpot after they pointed out the feature. "You get a little hint that something's going on with Horizon [in the launch trailer]. It may be worth looking at that shot again from the end of the trailer."
In a separate conversation with publication Rock Paper Shotgun yesterday, Reed shared that their team members are "big Titanfall fans" themselves. "We're often pretty dorky and will reach back into Titanfall to pull stuff up for Apex. Honestly, more often than you see in the final game, because sometimes we're like, 'Hey, knock it off, you're just being nostalgic, stop it.' It has to make sense," Reed told the publication.
Reed brought up Conduit, Apex’s newest Legend described as a "walking Titanfall 2 throwback," in the conversation. Conduit's kit was based off "Monarch," a titan that appears in Titanfall 2. "We looked at that and said 'Okay, there's juice in this,' both from a design perspective and from a narrative perspective. Then we said 'That marriage works, that is a good use of this, we will bring it in,'" shared Reed.
The writer explained further regarding with the two games' tie-ins, "So we are thinking about Titanfall a lot, but we want to make sure that when we bring it in, it's thoughtful and respectful of the original intention and does fit with the vision of the post-Frontier."
Apex Legends Season 20: Breakout comes out on February 13, 2024.
Source:
Apex Legends Lead Writer Confirms Season 20's Ties To Titanfall, Teases New Animated Series
Respawn are thinking about Titanfall a lot,
even if it’s to serve Apex Legends
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EA: NEW UPDATES COMING WITH APEX LEGENDS™: BREAKOUT
