It’s time to go “beast mode” in Apex Legends’ new event update. From skirmisher class buffs to a new limited-time game mode (LTM), the “Beast Mode Event” marks a significant change to an otherwise previously dragging game.
Released on March 25 and running until April 15, this mid-season update is exactly what the Apex community has been waiting for since Season 24 launched in February.
Season 24’s “Takeover” brought major legend changes, including buffs to Ash and Ballistic, but “Beast Mode” puts skirmishers — especially Alter — front and center.
“Our hope is that Skirmishers are more confident diving into a fight and staying alive if they do well, and their squad is more likely to be close behind if they don’t,” developers stated on their website.
Alter, the “void breacher” introduced in Season 21, received the most changes in her class. Her tactical void passage — a portal that moves through surfaces both vertically and horizontally — now has two charges instead of one, a cooldown reduced from 30 to 20 seconds, increased depth from 20 meters to 30 meters and it now reveals enemy health bars when they pass through. The void siphon’s maximum length also increased from 30 to 45 meters, with a preview for placement and a brief enemy highlight after activation.
Her ultimate ability, the void nexus — a regrouping phase point—has also been buffed. Now, two can be active at once, it’s reusable after a 30-second cooldown, it can pull in knocked teammates and reviving through it is smoother.
This ultimate change has led to some hilariously overpowered gameplay, especially when paired with Wattson. As demonstrated in YouTuber BacKoFFmyJanKz’s video, “so Alter is totally fair and balanced.. (that is sarcasm btw),” players have been setting up void nexus traps with Wattson fences. Once Wattson gets knocked, bringing her back through the nexus lures enemies in only for them to get stunned and wiped out.
Not only is this a creative strategy, but it also gives Wattson more relevance, a legend who I feel often gets overlooked.
Alongside Alter, other skirmishers — Horizon, Octane, Pathfinder, Valkyrie and Wraith — received upgrades too. As a class, they now have two new perks: “Trailblazer” and “Charged Knock.” “Trailblazer” grants a speed boost to teammates who are far away, while “Charged Knock” provides extra shield regeneration after securing a knock.
The speed boost is decent, but it feels too similar to Conduit’s passive “Savior’s Speed” to be truly exciting. The regeneration perk, however, is a game-changer in intense fights.
The new LTM, Power Sword Royale, cranks up the chaos in trios. The sword is insanely powerful, dealing massive damage while also buffing teammates and absorbing hits. Meanwhile, solo mode has returned, thanks to creator commissioner Apryze.
Weapon balancing has also been adjusted — sub machine guns now have larger magazine sizes, while light machine guns were nerfed due to their overwhelming power. Map rotations now include E-District, King’s Canyon and Storm Point for both pubs and ranked.
I’m ecstatic that King’s Canyon is sticking around, but I can’t stand E-District or Storm Point. The majority of the lobby seems to die before the first ring even closes, leaving the rest of the match to be spent wandering wide-open spaces looking for a fight. In my perfect Apex world, King’s Canyon and Olympus would stay forever.
As for mixtape modes, Team Deathmatch, Control and Gun Run remain, despite the community’s pleas for Three Strikes to become permanent. Players loved the respawn system in Three Strikes since lobbies tend to die out too quickly, but it looks like it won’t be making a return anytime soon.
While these changes are fun, what I really want is a new legend. Alter is the most recent addition, but considering we’re in Season 24, it’s about time we get another fresh face.
For a full breakdown of the “Beast Mode Event” and other updates, make sure to check out the official patch notes.
4/5 stars
ajones11@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of macresdefault, i.ytimg.com
