Apex Legends Revealed Its New Map In The Most Heartbreaking Way
Apex Legends, Respawn's sci-fi battle royale shooter, follows the same strategy as many other multiplayer games: it adds more content through seasonal updates. When a season is announced, however, fans don't expect to get a heartfelt story that gets them reaching for the tissues. The Season 6 trailer was humorous and upbeat throughout, which is typically more Apex Legends' speed. The Season 7 trailer, on the other hand, takes players on an emotional journey that follows a mom and her promise to her son.
The sad, story driven focus of the trailer, which revealed Apex Legends' new map, is now impacting gamers in a big way.
It starts with a somber piano playing in the background as the new Legend, Horizon, shares her story, telling it as though it's a fairy tale. Dr. Mary Somers lived in a kingdom with a dire energy crisis, she says, and someone needed to save it. Somers wanted a safe place for her son to grow up; therefore, she dedicated her life to the cause. One day, when all seemed lost, she found out that crystals scattered across the universe were the key to survival. Somers made a promise to her son: "I'll be back and we'll be together soon."
She set off into the universe to find the crystals. After retrieving one, however, she was betrayed. Her partner broke the tether connecting Somers' retrieval ship to the main ship, and both Somers and a picture of her son were sent into the depths of space.
Somers was stranded in a black hole for 246 days, which was 31755 days for her son. Meanwhile, the photo of Somers' son changed. Once the image of a young boy, it showed him grown up with a wife and kids. Then it showed him as an old man being laid to rest. All in all, Somers had been trapped in space for over 87 years — long enough to miss the entirety of her son's life. Somehow, though, she figured out a way to use a crystal to open up a wormhole of sorts. From there, she made her way back to her "kingdom" of Olympus.
While visiting her now deserted home, Sommers said, "Don't worry my boy. I'll keep that promise yet. It's just a matter of time." It seems fans now know some of Horizon's motivation for entering the Apex Games: she likely wants to find a way to reunite with her son.
As mentioned above, fans were struck by this trailer, and the YouTube comments were filled with their melancholy reactions. Many people related to the trailer on a personal level. One person said "I'm a single mom and I'm crying my eyes out." Reactions also popped up on Reddit, where one user said, "[M]an Horizon's story is tragic, especially with that time lapse of her son. It's enough to bring a tear to your eye." The trailer got plenty of players excited for Season 7 of Apex Legends and its new map, Olympus. It also broke a lot of hearts, too.
Olympus is seen briefly at the end of the trailer. It looks to have a mix of grassy hills and white buildings. The screenshot on EA's website is obscured by a blue tint, but it showcases skyscrapers and what may be a railway system. The site teases some details about the new map, calling it a "beautiful, lush city in the clouds," but warning players, "watch your step — it's a long way down to the planet below."
A new map isn't all that's coming in the new season. Tridents – which look to be a large transportation option for squads — also seem poised to make their debut in Season 7. The season will also introduce clubs, a way to find like-minded players, and a new battle pass featuring 100 new items.
But of course, the star of the new update is likely the new legend, Horizon. This character has showed up before, according to Polygon, in order to send players on quests in the firing range. Little is known about Horizon's unique abilities, but Respawn teased that they'll involve gravity.
Apex Legends players can look forward to exploring Olympus and learning more about Horizon when Season 7 launches on Nov. 4.