After 5 years, Apex Legends is going back to the beginning with a Fortnite-style mode letting you experience the launch version of the battle royale FPS

Apex Legends is going back to its roots, letting players relive the game’s launch experience in a new, Fortnite-style mode called ‘Flashpoint’.

The news comes as part of a reveal of the new Apex Legends: Emergence season. With the season kicking off on August 9, Flashpoint will introduce players to a fresh take on the standard Battle Royale formula, where everyone can return to the days of no weapon attachments and everyone having the same chances of victory.

On paper, Flashpoint looks very similar to Fortnite’s Chapter 2 Season 6 ‘Primal’ which brought about crafting for players to level up weapons through hunting animals. The Flashpoint twist puts an emphasis on limited weapon options and a gameplay loop revolving around “relic artifacts,” where players can scavenge them to get crafting resources called ‘Flux.’

“Each relic is composed of several shards. Collect these shards by destroying relics or taking them off of enemies. Once you’ve collected enough shards, you’ll be able to fuse a relic,” explains Respawn.

This flux, the crafting currency that unlocks ‘Relic’ buffs for weapons in Flashpoint mode, has multiple tiers: Rare, Epic, and Legendary. Each relic tier can be improved using a set number of flux points for more powerful buffs.

Relic upgrades in Flashpoint mode are primarily buff-based. Instead of traditional attachments that upgrade the standard aspects of guns like their stability, magazine size, or recoil control, the focus here is on getting better accuracy, range, and speed from the core weaponry.

According to the development team, the gameplay loop is more dynamic as “new ways of encountering each other will emerge as everyone learns the relic system, the map layout and what they’ll need to take on the opposition.” The map, Kings Canyon, which is a throwback to launch day Apex Legends, is going to get updated with a whole new section of landmarks called “flashpoints,” offering relics.

To add another dimension to Flashpoint, players can opt to revive the downed teammates with relics too, so they can keep a continuous fighting force against the opposing teams. The catch here is, you’ll be using your flux, as opposed to a Phoenix Kit.

While Flashpoint is certainly a fascinating approach for an alternate Battle Royale, the real takeaway is that it’s the biggest shake-up in terms of how Respawn is treating the base Battle Royale for a while now. Players get to rediscover the older form of weapon play.

Respawn is very eager for players to relive the past, as “we wanted to give players a chance to step back in time and enjoy Apex as it was on day one”. They’ve even revealed a dedicated Flashpoint-themed skin to mark the launch of the season. In essence, Apex Legends is diving headfirst into a new frontier for season 13. Alongside Flashpoint, the Emergence season brings a whole slew of content like the inclusion of a new legend, Newcastle, and the Seer rework, but there are no details yet regarding when exactly Flashpoint ends in the cycle. However, the team confirmed that “Flashpoint will stick around for a good portion of the season. That’s the plan. You’ll be able to revisit the gameplay mode”.

In terms of content, it’s hard to not be excited about the season 13 update. Respawn seems confident about Emergence bringing something fresh to the table with Flashpoint being the highlight.