Apex Legends Season 22, called “Shockwave,” has brought significant changes to the game. There’s a new legend named Ballistic and updates to the Broken Moon map, weapons, and the Ranked system. These changes should make the game more exciting and lead to more interesting battles. The game’s balance has been updated, including lower aim assist for PC controller players and easier access to guns like LMGs, which could affect how matches play out.
Additionally, new content has been added, such as a new quad mode and special items like Lifeline’s “Apex Corruptor” skin, providing more ways for players to have fun and level up.
Tier List
S-Tier
These Legends dominate the current meta, offering superior abilities and team utility:
- Revenant: Versatile with strong offensive and defensive capabilities, making him a top pick for both aggressive and strategic playstyles.
- Horizon: Despite nerfs, her vertical mobility and tactical abilities make her indispensable in higher-ranked play.
- Vantage: Buffed mobility and enhanced damage output keep her highly effective, especially for sniping and repositioning.
- Mad Maggie: Exceptional with shotguns and destructive capabilities, making her lethal in close-quarter combat, especially in confined maps.
- Crypto: Newly viable due to invisibility while droning, offering unmatched late-game strategic advantages.
- Rampart: Improved ultimate and enhanced wall utility make her a formidable force in both offensive and defensive scenarios.
A-Tier
These Legends are highly effective and can dominate in the right hands, but are slightly less versatile than S-tier picks:
- Pathfinder: Excellent mobility and quick rotations keep him a favorite, with consistent performance in both casual and competitive play.
- Wraith: Still strong with her tactical and ultimate cooldowns, making her a reliable pick for repositioning and escape.
- Lifeline: Essential for team support with quick revives and useful Care Packages, though recent nerfs slightly reduce her impact.
- Catalyst: Effective for controlling the battlefield with crowd-control abilities and enhanced durability, especially in chokepoints.
- Valkyrie: Strong rotational abilities, though slightly overshadowed by the current meta’s focus on other Legends.
- Fuse: Powerful with explosives and effective in zoning, though somewhat reliant on specific strategies to maximize impact.
B-Tier
These Legends are solid choices but require more specific circumstances or team compositions to excel:
- Bloodhound: Still useful for tracking and recon, but other recon Legends offer more utility in the current meta.
- Gibraltar: Reliable for defensive plays, though his large hitbox and slower pace can be a disadvantage.
- Ash: Strong but overshadowed by other more versatile Legends, making her less impactful in general gameplay.
- Horizon: Still viable, especially for her mobility, but not as dominant as in previous seasons.
- Loba: Great for looting and team support, though her situational impact keeps her from higher tiers.
- Caustic: Effective for area denial, but other Legends have more flexible kits in the current meta.
- Bangalore: Useful with her smokes and ultimate, but easily countered by scanning abilities.
C-Tier
These Legends are more situational, excelling in specific scenarios but less impactful overall:
- Octane: Fun and fast, but lacks the utility and impact needed in high-stakes matches.
- Seer: Once powerful, now situational due to significant nerfs, making him a less reliable choice.
- Mirage: Improved but still lacks depth and team utility, best suited for casual play.
- Newcastle: Decent for support, but requires strong team communication to be effective.
- Vantage: Useful but niche, especially in longer-range engagements where her sniping ability shines.
D-Tier
These Legends struggle to find their place in the current meta, with kits that offer limited utility:
- Ballistic: Despite a strong base kit, his underwhelming perks and situational effectiveness make him the weakest choice for ranked play.
Tier List Table
| Tier | Legends |
|---|---|
| S | Revenant, Horizon, Vantage, Mad Maggie, Crypto, Rampart |
| A | Pathfinder, Wraith, Lifeline, Catalyst, Valkyrie, Fuse |
| B | Bloodhound, Gibraltar, Ash, Horizon, Loba, Caustic, Bangalore |
| C | Octane, Seer, Mirage, Newcastle |
| D | Ballistic |
Apex Legends: Shockwave – Season 22
Release Date
Apex Legends Season 22 SHOCKWAVE was released on August 6th. 2024 through Split 1.
New Legend: Ballistic
- Tactical Ability: Whistler: Shoots a projectile that locks onto enemies and heats up their weapons, causing them to overheat and deal damage.
- Passive Ability: Sling: Ballistic can store a third weapon in his Sling, inaccessible to other players. This weapon doesn’t benefit from attachments but can be upgraded in matches.
- Ultimate Ability: Tempest: Ballistic buffs nearby teammates, granting faster reloads, unlimited ammo, and movement speed. He also equips his golden Smart Pistol from his Sling.
Map Updates: Broken Moon
- Terraformer: A new point of interest on the map.
- The Divide: A crack that splits the moon in half, creating unique gameplay opportunities and traversal challenges.
- Production Yard, Alpha Base, and Eternal Gardens: Other new points of interest on the map.
Weapon Changes:
- Care Package Weapon: Hemlok Burst AR: Returns to floor loot.
- Care Package Weapon: R-99 SMG: Returns to the care package.
- Mastiff Shotgun: Nerfed to have lower damage per pellet and fire rate.
- EVA-8 Auto Shotgun: Buffed with increased fire rate and tighter pellet spread.
- Volt SMG and Longbow DMR: Receive buffs to damage and other stats.
Ranked Changes:
- Ranked Reloaded: A significant overhaul of the ranked system, focusing on rewarding teamwork and skill.
- New Ladder Points System: Eliminations and assists now grant more Ladder Points.
- New Ranked Rewards: Include badges, weapon charms, dive trails, and more.
New Battle Pass:
- Shockwave Battle Pass: Features new skins for legends like Ballistic, Crypto, and Wattson.
- New Weapon Skins, Emotes, and More: Unlockable through gameplay or purchasing the Premium Battle Pass.
Legend Meta Changes:
- Seer Nerf: Seer’s Heart Seeker ability now has a longer cooldown and reduced range.
- Wraith Buff: Wraith’s Into the Void ability now has a shorter cooldown.
- Horizon Nerf: Horizon’s Gravity Lift now has a slightly longer cooldown.
Additional Updates:
- New Firing Range: A dedicated firing range for practicing with weapons and legends.
- Sticker System: Allows players to place stickers on their weapons and armor for customization.
- Various Bug Fixes and Improvements: Addresses several issues and enhances gameplay experience.
Key Takeaways
- Season 22 changes the game balance with weapon and legend updates
- New modes and rewards give players more ways to enjoy Apex Legends
- Top legends for ranked play include Bangalore and Lifeline
Season 22 Overview and Legends Meta
Apex Legends Season 22 brings major changes to the game’s roster and gameplay. These updates shake up the meta and introduce new strategies for players to explore.
New Additions to the Legends Roster
Season 22 welcomes a fresh face to the Apex Games. Conduit joins as a Controller Legend, adding new tactics to team play. Her skills focus on energy manipulation, letting her boost allies and disrupt foes. This addition brings the total Legend count to 25, giving players more choices for their squads.
Conduit’s arrival shifts team dynamics. Her energy-based abilities work well with other Legends like Wattson and Rampart. Players are still figuring out the best ways to use her in different game modes.
Adjustments to Existing Legends
Several Legends got tweaks in Season 22. These changes aim to balance the game and keep things fresh.
- Bangalore: Smoke launcher now lasts longer
- Crypto: Drone scan range increased
- Ash: Phase breach cooldown reduced
- Fuse: Knuckle Cluster damage boosted
- Seer: Heartbeat sensor range decreased
These updates change how players use these Legends. For example, Bangalore’s longer-lasting smoke gives teams more cover. Crypto’s improved drone makes him more useful for scouting.
Impact on Competitive Play
Season 22’s changes have a big effect on ranked and pro play. The meta is shifting as players adapt to the new Legend and balance changes.
Recon Legends like Bloodhound and Seer remain important for gathering info. But the buffs to some Assault Legends make aggressive play more viable. Teams are testing new combos to find the best mix of offense and defense.
The changes to aim assist for PC controller players are also key. This 25% reduction evens the playing field between mouse and controller users. It’s causing pro players to adjust their strategies and playstyles.
Gameplay Updates and New Content
Season 22 of Apex Legends brings fresh changes to weapons, maps, and game systems. These updates aim to shake up the meta and give players new ways to play.
Weapon Balance and New Additions
The P2020 and Mozambique got buffs to make them more useful. The R-301 and R-99 saw slight nerfs to balance their power. LMGs got tweaks to their recoil and damage.
A new weapon called the Kimbo joins the lineup. It’s a pair of pistols that can be dual-wielded. The Kimbo fits between SMGs and pistols in terms of power.
Shotguns got a small buff to make them more viable at close range. The Rampage LMG moved to care packages, replacing another gun.
Map Changes and Strategic Implications
A brand new map called Void Nexus launched this season. It has lots of vertical areas for climbing and jump towers. The map is split into distinct zones with unique features.
Void Nexus has special portals called Chase Portals. These let players quickly move between areas. Ring Consoles are a new feature that show where the next ring will be.
Loot distribution got tweaked on all maps. There are now more Evo shields in early game loot. Some areas have more ammo to help with scarcity issues.
System Tweaks and Quality of Life Improvements
A new Battle Sense feature helps new players learn game mechanics. It gives tips during matches about positioning, looting, and combat.
Enemy health bars now show up when aiming at foes. This helps players judge when to push fights. Low ammo warnings pop up on screen to avoid running out mid-fight.
Pinging for ammo is easier now. Teammates can see exactly what type you need. Respawn timers are clearer, showing how long until a player can be brought back.
The ADS (aim down sights) system got small changes to smooth out aiming. Aim assist on controllers saw minor adjustments to balance with mouse and keyboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Season 22 of Apex Legends brings major changes to gameplay and character balance. Players can expect new strategies and adjustments to the competitive scene.
What are the latest balance changes affecting the meta in Apex Legends Season 22?
Aim assist for PC controller players has been lowered by 25%. This change aims to balance the playing field between different input methods.
LMGs now have an increased drop rate. They also come with a new Gun-Shield hop-up. These updates may shift weapon preferences among players.
The EVA-8 shotgun returns to floor loot with some nerfs. It can now use the Boosted Loader hop-up. This gives players more shotgun options in their loadouts.
Which Apex Legends characters have been reworked in Season 22?
The search results don’t mention specific character reworks for Season 22. Respawn often tweaks legend abilities each season, but details aren’t provided here.
What are the new features introduced in Apex Legends Season 22?
Season 22 is called “Shockwave”. It adds the Akimbo hop-up, letting players dual-wield certain weapons. This new feature may change close-range combat tactics.
The Gun-Shield hop-up for LMGs is another addition. It gives LMG users extra protection, potentially making these weapons more popular.
How has the introduction of the new legend in Season 22 impacted the tier list?
The search results don’t mention a new legend for Season 22. Without this info, it’s hard to say how the tier list might have changed.
Can you provide a breakdown of the competitive meta for Apex Legends Season 22?
The competitive meta will likely shift due to weapon changes. LMGs may see more use with their new hop-up and increased drop rate.
The aim assist nerf for PC controller players could impact which input method pro players choose. It may lead to more mouse and keyboard users in tournaments.
What are the key strategies for winning in Apex Legends Season 22?
Players should adapt to the new weapon changes. Trying out LMGs with the Gun-Shield hop-up could give an edge in firefights.
For PC players, adjusting to the new aim assist settings is crucial. Practicing with the updated controls will help maintain accuracy.
Exploring the Akimbo hop-up on suitable weapons may create new close-range tactics. This could be useful for aggressive playstyles.
