Apex Legends Season 22: Shockwave is bringing a host of exciting changes and new features to Respawn’s popular battle royale game. The upcoming season will introduce not one, but two new battle passes, a brand-new map, and a revamped way to handle some of the game’s less favored weapons.
With so much content on the horizon, players are sure to find plenty to enjoy. To shed light on these new features, Respawn’s development team has shared insights into the creation and design process behind Shockwave.
The development team, including world director Ed Agostini, lead weapons designer Eric Canavese, design director Chris “C4” Cleroux, game designer John Larson, associate design director Josh Mohan, and senior design director Evan Nikolich, provided a behind-the-scenes look at the significant changes coming with Season 22: Shockwave, which is set to go live on Tuesday, August 6.
One of the most notable additions is the new “akimbo” pistol mechanic, which allows players to dual-wield either two P2020s or two Mozambiques. These pistols are typically seen as some of the weakest weapons in the game, often discarded for more powerful options. The team behind Shockwave was excited to explore how dual-wielding might change their effectiveness in gameplay, starting with testing for a new, unreleased weapon.
Eric Canavese explained that the idea of dual-wielding had always intrigued the team. After completing another weapon design, they began experimenting with the akimbo mechanic. Initially designed for a new weapon, they decided to apply the feature to existing guns like the P2020 and Mozambique. This change aims to make these lower-tier weapons viable in the endgame, focusing on their close-quarters combat potential.
The development of the akimbo pistols involved extensive testing and refinement. The final mechanic allows players to dual-wield these pistols while occupying only a single weapon slot. This adjustment enhances their performance by making them fully automatic, increasing their rate of fire, and tightening their bullet spread during hip-fire, which could make them more useful in close-range encounters.
Regarding the original weapon used to design the akimbo mechanic, it might make a future appearance in the game, though it would likely be significantly altered. The development team remains open to revisiting old prototypes if they fit future needs, depending on how the game evolves and what the meta requires.
Season 22 also brings a new map, E-District, which features a cyberpunk theme. Ed Agostini discussed the challenges of creating a night map, particularly balancing illumination and gameplay visibility. The team wanted to ensure that the map was not too dark while still evoking a nighttime atmosphere, which involved incorporating artificial lighting and neon elements.
The E-District map draws inspiration from various Asian cities, including Tokyo’s Shibuya Center, which influenced the Neon Square POI. Other areas, such as Blossom Drive, incorporate elements from different parts of Tokyo, while some POIs feature cultural influences from Arabic, Korean, and Chinese styles. The map also includes nods to Japanese anime and cyberpunk aesthetics.
Building a dense map like E-District posed unique challenges. The team had to address the fact that not every building would be enterable, so they developed a visual language to distinguish interactive buildings from those that are purely decorative. Enterable buildings are well-lit and colorful, while non-interactive ones are more subdued.
Another challenge was maintaining visibility on a night map. The team wanted to ensure that players could navigate the map without frustration due to darkness. They achieved this by using light pollution and neon to enhance visibility while preserving the nighttime atmosphere.
Season 22 also introduces updates to the Battle Sense system, including visible enemy health bars and a feature that highlights nearby enemies. These changes aim to enhance player awareness and strategy by making it easier to gauge enemy health and proximity. Players will have the option to enable or disable these features according to their preferences.
One of the more controversial changes in this season is the overhaul of the battle pass system. Instead of a single 110-level battle pass, players will now encounter two separate 60-level passes each season. Initially, the new system required direct purchase for $10 each, which led to backlash and a decrease in the game’s Steam user rating. In response, Respawn adjusted the system to allow players to unlock each pass using Apex Coins (AC) earned from previous passes.
Senior design director Evan Nikolich explained that splitting the battle pass aimed to make it more engaging and manageable for players. By offering a shorter progression path, the team hoped to address issues of player retention and satisfaction. Although this adjustment adds an extra 10 levels to the total grind, the team believes it provides a cleaner and more effective progression system.
As the new season approaches, the development team is particularly excited about the introduction of Bot Royale, a new PvE mode designed to offer a safe space for practice and onboarding. This mode aims to be accessible to all players and provides an opportunity to practice without the pressure of competitive matches. Apex Legends players will experience all these new features when Season 22: Shockwave goes live on Tuesday, August 6 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET.