Season 16 of Apex Legends is right around the corner and it’s making some substantial changes to the game. The first season to launch without a new legend, Season 16 is all about rebalancing the game and improving the experience for players. Along with introducing the new Nemesis assault rifle, Season 16 also adds one of the most requested modes to the game. Team Deathmatch, Control, and Gun Run will all become permanent modes when Season 16 launches. Tied to the new Mixtape Playlist, Respawn Entertainment confirmed during a preview event that these modes will be replacing Arenas when the next season launches later this month.
Team Deathmatch is a 6 vs. 6 game mode that is broken up across three different rounds. When a team reaches 30 kills they will win the round and the first team to win two rounds will claim victory. Similar to Control, there are several weapon loadouts you can pick from and your character/guns can be changed any time you die. Respawning is enabled and occasionally, Care Packages will drop high-tier weapons.
Respawn Entertainment explained during the preview event that the Mixtape Playlist will not have a Ranked mode. They wanted Team Deathmatch, Control, and Gun Run to serve as a break from the usual, competitive experience. Additionally, we know that other modes could make their way into the Mixtape Playlist. Keep in mind, the Mixtape Playlist will drop three weeks after Season 16 launches. All of this is designed to improve the new player experience in Apex Legends.
Along with prioritizing a casual mode, the Firing Range is also getting a big update. Players will not be able to see detailed stats, change the behavior of bots, and even have infinite ammo. New players will also be required to play in Orientation Matches, which will be mostly filled with bots. Badges cannot be earned in Orientation Matches, which will lower the chance of veteran players trying to earn some of the rarer cosmetics by killing new users. Once you win or play enough Orientation Matches you will graduate into the normal battle royale mode, allowing you to play with the entire playerbase.
Season 16 of Apex Legends launches on February 14th for all available platforms.
