Loba and Lifeline won’t be the only supports in Apex Legends this season, but not because a new legend will be a part of that class. Apex‘s class system is getting a thorough overhaul in season 16, and even though there is no new legend added to the game this season, players can expect far-reaching changes to the entire cast due to how they’ll fit into the new divisions.
With Revelry, Respawn is dividing the Offensive legends into two distinct groups and shifting some characters between categories, with potentially grand changes to the entire cast. In the pre-Revelry sandbox, each class had its own passive effects, which are likely to continue in some form after the changes.
Once season 16 lands, players will see five classes: Assault, Skirmisher, Recon, Controller, and Support. The Offensive legends—the most numerous category—will be split into two, and Defensive legends may also find themselves in different categories than they were before Revelry.
Assault Legends excel at combat utility and initiation, as lead legend designer Devan McGuire shared in a press conference last week. Their abilities can create openings and pressure opponents into bad decisions or mistakes. Expect to see Ash, Fuse, Mad Maggie, Bangalore, and Revenant in this category.
The other part of the defunct Offensive class now comprises the Skirmisher legends, which are all about “combat mobility and escape,” according to McGuire. Mobile legends such as Wraith, Horizon, Pathfinder, Octane, Valkyrie, and Mirage are in this class.
The Controller class also brings some familiar names from a soon-to-be-sunset class. Controllers are the rigid defenders—they “place their abilities in the world to control their positioning and force enemies to fight on their turf.” Caustic, Wattson, Rampart, and Catalyst will move to the Controller class when season 16 lands.
Recon continues to be made of the legends with great intel-gathering capabilities. This class remains mostly the same with Bloodhound, Seer, Crypto, and Vantage, though Pathfinder and Valkyrie have moved to the Skirmisher category.
Lastly, the Support class has a few new names on the list, doubling that number from just Lifeline and Loba. These legends help supply, support, or outright save the team from harm. Lifeline, Loba, Gibraltar, and Newcastle all fit into this class.
The overhauled class system provides Respawn with opportunities to redefine the playing space for each class. Valkyrie, for instance, wasn’t as textbook Recon as Bloodhound, Crypto, or Seer, and her status as a Skirmisher reflects that new change. Likewise, the broad Offensive class didn’t really differentiate between the W-key-holding offense of Octane and a calculated attack from Ash or Revenant.
Players can try out the new classes when season 16 lands on Feb. 14.
