Perhaps the most surprising element of Apex Legends season 21 is Respawn bringing back Solos as a 6-week takeover of Duos, though many fans were expecting Solos to revert back to Duos once its time came to an end. Now, however, fans know that Solos is going straight into Quads. For the first time ever, Apex Legends players will be able to join up in teams of four, experiment with new team comps, and play a very different loot game while chasing that elusive victory.
Of course, this means that Apex Legends season 21 began without Duos and will end without Duos. Even when it was just a Solos takeover of Duos, many in the community were vocal about their preferred playing method going out the window for this Takeover. Knowing that Quads will be replacing Duos through August 6, which is roughly when Apex Legends season 21 will end, probably doesn't help that. Respawn is aware of this, with designer John Larson acknowledging the lack of Duos during a recent interview with The Best War Games.
Apex Legends Best Legend Level Upgrade Options, Ranked
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Apex Legends Duos in Season 21
Duo players "might feel slighted this season with Solos going straight into Quads," Larson said, "but I want to let them know it's something we're aware of." Larson further explained that Apex Legends LTMs and Takeovers have a lot of implications to consider. If it's a Takeover, it does mean the removal of a beloved game mode. If it's an LTM that exists alongside Duos, Respawn has to consider how it impacts matchmaking and the team's ability to provide for players. None of it is taken lightly; all of it is considered critically. As Larson said,
"For those that maybe worried about Duos, I would say don't fret. We have the game's best interests in mind too, so while these longer takeovers have been at the expense of Duos, we are learning a bunch."
Indeed, while Solos being back is great and has many lessons in and of itself, the response to Duos missing for 6 weeks is perhaps an unexpected lesson. There's no doubt that Duos is popular in Apex Legends, but because it has been such a core part of the game for so long, it's easy enough for anyone to take it for granted. This is a direct lesson in what Apex Legends players engage with and why, and Quads will no doubt offer its own lessons. It's unknown if Solos will come back again or, if after this initial run of Quads, this new game mode will ever come back. If so, it'll be interesting to see how Respawn tackles it next go around, but it speaks to an exciting future for the game when the studio is so willing to experiment with a tried-and-true formula.
Apex Legends launched in a very formulaic state. Players got new guns and Legends every season, while maps were spaced out pretty evenly too. Guns soon became less common, new things happened or didn't happen with Legends every season, and maps began getting different kinds of attention season after season. The launch formula is well and truly dead, and what comes next is anyone's guess - which is exciting for a 5-year-old game.
Apex Legends
- Released
- February 4, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
Conquer with character in Apex Legends, a free-to-play* Hero shooter where legendary characters with powerful abilities team up to battle for fame & fortune on the fringes of the Frontier.
Master an ever-growing roster of diverse legends, deep tactical squad play, and bold new innovations that go beyond the Battle Royale experience—all within a rugged world where anything goes. Welcome to the next evolution of Hero Shooter.
This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items, including a random selection of virtual in-game items.
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Respawn Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Platform(s)
- PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, iOS, Android, Switch
- Genre(s)
- Battle Royale, First-Person Shooter
