Apex Legends Season 13: Saviors - Everything We Know So Far

Battle royale games have grown immensely popular in recent years, but whether it's "PlayerUnkown's Battlegrounds" or "Fortnite," each and every one needs consistent updates in order to stay relevant. As fun as it can be to drop into a warzone with your friends in a battle to be the last team standing, the experience can quickly grow stale if there aren't new maps, weapons, abilities and characters for the player to tinker with. Changing things up every once in a while keeps games in consoles and controllers in the hands of the players. That's why seasonal content has become such an important part of the genre.

"Apex Legends" has done a great job with this. Respawn Entertainment has given its players 12 amazing seasons of content on the free-to-play game in the three short years since its release. This is the reason many gamers continue to play "Apex" while so many other battle royales have fallen into obscurity. Now, the studio has recently announced that Season 13 is on its way and that it will be titled "Saviors," but what sort of content will it include and when can players expect to get their hands on it? Here's everything we know so far.

Those who are curious about the new season of "Apex Legends" might want to check out the trailer posted by the official "Apex Legends" YouTube account. The clip is primarily focused on Sergeant 1st Class Anita Williams, AKA Bangalore. It begins with a party celebrating Bangalore and Revenant's retirement. Several of the legends are dancing in a club when the new legend, Newcastle, is introduced while holding Horizon in a chair over his head. He has a beard and wears a suit of armor with a Robocop-style helmet covering the top half of his head. Bangalore is drinking at the bar when Loba approaches and asks if she's really quitting. Bangalore replies, "It's time. My brother's gone. Without Jackson, I've got nothing else to fight for here."

Then an alarm goes off. Bangalore is partnered with Mirage and Newcastle. Several of Newcastle's abilities are showcased over the course of the video as he and Bangalore battle their way through a host of enemy robots. They are then attacked by a giant sea monster, which they promptly defeat. Bangalore removes Newcastle's helmet and it is revealed that he is actually her missing brother Jackson.

The official page for "Apex Legends: Saviors" has a brief description of the game's newest legend, stating, "The Hero of Harris Valley, Newcastle will need to shield his squadmates and his secrets to survive the Apex Games." This seems to be referencing his hidden identity as Bangalore's brother, but it is also a reference to his defensive playstyle. 

Newcastle can frequently be seen using shields and other defensive abilities on the field during the trailer. He throws out an energy shield near the beginning of the fight. He also carries a small metal shield that appears to be able to change shape to suit his needs. Viewers can even see him using this same shield as an impromptu stretcher in order to drag downed allies to safety during the fight with the sea monster. It's also during this battle that Newcastle demonstrates what is likely his ultimate ability: When Bangalore is attacked by the monster and Newcastle throws his shield out in front of her, it opens up into a large wall that provides cover for the entire team.

Add all of this together and it seems that Newcastle will play a very similar role on the team as Gibraltar. It remains to be seen which defense specialist will be the new fan favorite.

Newcastle might be the star of the new season, but he isn't the only new element being added in "Saviors." 

The map Storm Point was introduced in "Apex Legends" Season 11, but it looks like it will be receiving a few new updates in Season 13. For one thing, it appears that the massive crustacean our heroes were battling in the trailer wasn't just there for show. The "Saviors" website contains a passage talking about something called The Downed Beast, asking players to consider: "What treasures lie on the shores of Storm Point. Stay sharp and stick together, even dead beasts hold danger." It seems likely that players will soon have their own encounters with this chitinous monstrosity, but it's unclear if this will take the form of a special battle mode in which all the legends fight together to take the creature down, like they did in the trailer.

The website also claims that Respawn Entertainment has completely reworked the ranked system, and that the new version "rewards teamwork and skill." That's always good to hear.

Those who are excited to play as Newcastle and see all of the other new features that Season 13 of "Apex Legends" has to offer won't have to wait very long. A card at the end of the trailer reveals that the next "Stories from the Outlands" short will premiere on April 28, which will bring players a new cinematic expanding the lore of the game. The season proper is expected to launch on May 10, meaning players will be dropping shields and trying their hands against massive sea monsters in no time!

As always, the game remains free-to-play and can be downloaded on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and on PC via Steam and Origin. Those willing to pay a little extra in order to get some stylish "Survivors" bonus content can choose to opt for the battle pass. The website states that the Saviors Battle Pass will offer daily and weekly challenges, during which participating players can "earn rewards like Legendary skins, reactive weapon skins and more!"