Apex Legends Mobile is bringing its first new competitor, Fade. The new legend is exclusive to mobile, and his kit was designed to fit into areas that developers believe make an important part of the gameplay in Apex Mobile, and he is bound to quickly become one of the most popular picks in the shooter.
His kit will bring a hint of familiarity for Wraith mains in Apex, both because of its theme and its utility. Overwatch veterans will also be reminded of Tracer in Fade’s design thanks to his tactical, with just a splash of mobility from his passive. Here’s what we know about Fade.
Everything we know about Fade in Apex Legends Mobile
Much like the legends in the base Apex, Fade has his own tragic backstory. “Fade was a member of a mercenary family before a job went wrong,” according to design director Jordan Patz, “leaving him with the tools and the motivation for revenge.” Though there aren’t many exact details about his motivations, the developers made his tools pretty clear. He has a suit powered by a similar technology as Wraith’s phase tech, which he will use to take the fight to his opponents in the Apex Games.
There isn’t much information on why he joined the Games or how he got his suit. These plot points will likely develop throughout Apex Mobile‘s stories, though we know exactly how he will use his abilities in the game.
Fade’s abilities and gameplay
Developers built Fade based on the learnings they took from bringing the cast of Apex to the mobile version, Patz said, creating “a legend that leans into what we see as the best parts of mobile gaming.” Much like his suit, his abilities also have a hint of Wraith to them and may let him play as a whirlwind fighter.
His passive, Slipstream, gives him a slight speed boost after sliding, which chains into mechanics like slide jumping and makes him more nimble. It has a cooldown, which means players will have to learn to time it to keep it up as often as possible.
His tactical, Flash Back, has Fade use his phase tech to rewind several steps back in the fight, similarly to Tracer’s Recall ability in Overwatch. While this brings less liberty than Wraith’s tactical, Into the Void, players can get tremendous use out of it as an emergency button, letting them fade back to safety. It also has potential for high-skill players to bamboozle opponents, according to Patz, even possibly setting up ambushes.
The last part of his kit is his ultimate, Phase Chamber, an explosive weapon that can push everyone within its radius into phase space, according to Patz. It can be used offensively, to single out an enemy squad, or defensively, by throwing it at Fade’s own squad to keep them out of danger.
Fade’s kit fits into the gameplay of Apex Mobile, and odds are he will see a good pick rate early on due to the novelty of him being the first mobile-exclusive legend. With his abilities, though, he could carve himself a spot as the Apex Mobile equivalent of Wraith, becoming a staple of Apex Mobile.
