Olympus returns as one map conspicuously disappears from Apex season 18 map rotation

Get ready for a sky high season.

The Gardens POI on Olympus, with pink blossoming trees decorating the grassy landscape and a giant, black and blue rift in the background.
Image via Respawn Entertainment

Olympus enthusiasts, rejoice. The map that seems to have drawn a cult-like following among Apex Legends players by the sheer amount of time it spends out of the map rotation is back again in season 18, while another map that’s dominated the battle royale lately is leaving the rotation following weeks of teasers.

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Joining Olympus in season 18 will be Kings Canyon and the return of Broken Moon once more. To make room, World’s Edge takes a breather after its significant map changes in season 17, and Storm Point will also go away.

That last map might be the most conspicuous absence of the map rotation, considering the literal storm that’s been gathering at the edges of the tropical island map this season.

Screens in the Command Center had previously flashed warnings for a giant storm, and eventually, that storm became visible from POIs like Fish Farms and Shipfall: a huge, foreboding storm cell with tornadoes that seemed to spawn from a larger core.

While it feels like a giant storm is as good a chance as any to make significant changes, Apex players will have to wait for any eventual map update to Storm Point that could be in store for a mid-season event or even as a centerpiece for season 19.

Related: Hidden Storm Point teasers point to major changes for Apex map

Instead, players will have the relatively calm arenas of Psamathe and Solace in season 18. Broken Moon also remains, and fans of the Mixtape playlist will get extra treats with new Control, Team Deathmatch, and Gun Run maps on the map that was introduced in season 15.

None of the maps that will begin in the rotation in season 18 will see a significant map update for battle royale, as it appears Respawn is saving its next big rework for Storm Point.

The new rotation begins when the new season starts on Aug. 8 as Apex Resurrection releases complete with the reworked Revenant and more.

Author
Image of Adam Snavely
Adam Snavely
Associate Editor and Apex Legends Lead. From getting into fights over Madden and FIFA with his brothers to interviewing some of the best esports figures in the world, Adam has always been drawn to games with a competitive nature. You'll usually find him on Apex Legends (World's Edge is the best map, no he's not arguing with you about it), but he also dabbles in VALORANT, Super Smash Bros. Melee, CS:GO, Pokemon, and more. Ping an R-301.