Apex Legends Adds Havoc, Its First New Gun

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Apex Legends announced earlier today that it would be adding a new rifle, named Havoc, to the popular battle royale game. The announcement was made on Twitter, and developer Respawn Entertainment has since released a trailer showcasing the new weapon in action, as the weapon went live a short while after the initial reveal was made.

Apex Legends is growing faster than Fortnite, and looks to be a real contender in a genre that looked like it was going to be Epic Games' playground for as long as that team wanted. Apex Legends grew out of Titanfall, and possess some of the characteristics that made that franchise so popular. That includes frenetic gameplay and movement alongside characters with different skills and abilities, qualities that have helped set the title apart from its competitors.

Apex Legends has been described as a live service by its developers, and Respawn has followed through on that promise with the release of Havoc. The gun was revealed in a trailer released on YouTube, and is already live in-game. The Havoc is an energy rifle that handles similarly to the Devotion light machine gun, and is a fully automatic weapon that looks capable of inflicting quite a bit of damage.

The Havoc also shows that Respawn isn't content to just release weapons with minute differences to separate them from the game's existing arsenal. The Havoc accepts two hop-up attachments, which are items that can modify the way a gun performs. Previously, the maximum number any gun accepted was one, and they were quite powerful already - the Select Fire hop-up can swap burst-fire weapons to fully automatic, for instance, while the Turbocharger speeds up a gun's charge time. The Havoc's ability to include two hop-ups makes it one of the more versatile weapons in the game, customizable to the needs of the player in a way that previous guns haven't been.

The Havoc also indicates that Respawn isn't afraid to experiment with things that could unbalance the game. That's both exciting and frightening for players who feel Apex Legends is already one of the best-balanced multiplayer experiences available. With major changes like the potential of Titans in Apex Legends on the horizon, however, it makes sense that the developer would begin to try out smaller but significant alterations. As long as the game continues to embrace the design elements that have made it so successful, though, we doubt anyone will complain about more flexibility and customization in its weaponry. Just, please, someone - save the Mozambique. It's embarrassing at this point.