Apex Legends News

Apex Legends cross-play beta goes live with Aftermarket update

Apex Legends players will finally be able to play alongside friends on other platforms thanks to the battle royale's Aftermarket update, which introduces a cross-play beta.

While a bunch of cosmetics and LTM events are being thrown in with the Aftermarket update, cross-play is by far the standout feature. The cross-play beta is Respawn's first attempt at matchmaking console and PC players together, as previously players were limited to facing opponents on the same platform.

According to a blog post from Respawn, there are a few caveats to matchmaking. Players on PS4 and Xbox One will only be matched up with other console players, and will only find themselves facing PC players if they are in a squad with a friend who is a PC user. This separation has been made to limit the number of encounters between controller players and mouse and keyboard players. Essentially, console games will never have PC players in them.

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Apex Legends gets cross-play, new cosmetics, Flashpoint LTM

Apex Legends has revealed a number of hotly anticipated features, including the leaked Aftermarket Collection Event, Caustic's heirloom, and cross-play. The update will go live on October 6.

The Aftermarket event will bring 24 new skins available in Event Apex Packs. Each pack will contain one event item and two non-event items and can be bought with Crafting Materials or premium Apex Coins. There are also loads of new bundles hitting the store, which are detailed in the full patch notes. Some cosmetics will only be available by levelling up your Aftermarket prize track in the Flashpoint Limited Time Mode.

This new LTM sees all healing items removed from the Apex Legends map. Instead, huge zones called Flash Points will slowly heal your health and shields. With the ring always closing in on one of the Flash Points, they're going to be at the heart of the action. However, also keep an eye out for Replicators, as Phoenix Kits can be crafted for a price.

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Titanfall's Kuben Blisk might be a future Apex Legends character

A leaked image has revealed the next seven characters joining the Apex Legends roster. Although nothing has been officially confirmed, the leak suggests the next Legend will be Valk, who we understand will have some kind of magnetism or gravity-based abilities. However, after Valk we'll see Titanfall 2 antagonist Kuben Blisk and his minion Ash, who have been becoming increasingly important in the Apex Legends lore over the past few months.

If you're following Season 6's Season Quest, you'll know that Pathfinder believes simulacrum Ash to be his girlfriend - although we expect their relationship to end as badly and explosively as Game of Thrones. Kuben Blisk has put his rugged South African accent to use as the commissioner of the Apex Games, as was confirmed when he invited Rampart, the most recent legend, to join the fray. Don't forget the Apex Games are named after his band of mercenaries, the Apex Predators and every time you reach the highest level of Apex Legends ranked, you're classed as an honourary member.

We expect both of these characters' arrivals to cause some friction in future seasons, especially between ex-IMC trooper Bangalore and anti-IMC war doctor Lifeline. Plus, something big is going to have to go down to bring the commissioner into the fray.

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Apex Legends producer confirms a Pathfinder buff is in the works

Apex Legends producer Josh Medina has confirmed that Pathfinder will be getting "some love" soon in response to fans complaining about recent nerfs.

Everyone's favourite robot (sorry Revenant) was hit with a massive nerf at the start of Season 5, increasing the cooldown on his tactical ability from 15 seconds to 35. At the time, Respawn said the huge increase was to ensure Pathfinder couldn't use his Grapple twice in one firefight, but fans thought the change was extreme and his usage dropped off in tournaments, Apex Legends ranked, and even casual games.

Season 6 also sees Pathfinder's fellow Recon Legends Bloodhound and Crypto given the ability to use Recon Beacons, which in previous seasons was a trait unique to Pathfinder. The beacons give valuable intel on the next ring location, and Crypto's drone can scan them instantaneously, making him a better choice than Pathfinder. Bloodhound was also on the receiving end of a handful of buffs, making them a strong choice of Recon Legend.

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The best PS4 games in 2020

The best PS4 games are like pizza toppings when you think about it - everyone thinks their choice is the correct one, but really it all comes down to a myriad of personal tastes and preferences that are different for each individual. And then there's always someone who puts pineapple on theirs. Their pizza, that is, not their PS4. Here at The Loadout, we love multiplayer action and excitement, so most of our picks reflect that. We're known for reporting on the biggest esports games, however, some alternative games broke the mould and had such an impact on us that we couldn't not include them.

Even though we're nearing the end of the iconic console's lifespan, we know that the PS5 will have backwards compatibility for its games, so questions surrounding the best PS4 games will continue deep into 2020 and beyond.

The PS4 has such a wide variety of games that there really is something for everyone, regardless of taste or preference. Maybe your favourite PS4 games don't match ours, or those of the biggest streamers, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter as long as you're true to yourself.

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