The battle royale of Respawn has many unique features that give it its own identity, from the movements to the abilities of the Legends, to the way shield swapping works in the heat of battle. However, in Season 20, you will have to relearn this last aspect. It is now possible to take Shield Cells from enemy death boxes, but these will only serve to either power up the shield you already have or provide a temporary buff to the shield (essentially an overshield) if the enemy had a higher-level shield than yours. Once the overshield is depleted, it reverts back to whatever you had gained until then.
Respawn wants to eliminate some of the RNG from Apex Legends, so you will no longer have to go into battle only to face someone who landed with a purple shield. Instead, everyone must earn their shield by dealing damage, getting kills, or finding a new item called Evo Harvester in the field, which, once collected, gives you and your squad some points towards the next evo level. In theory, this should make the game more predictable, with most players starting with white or blue shields in the early game, and purple or red shields becoming more common towards the end. This progression allows for a better estimate of the opponent’s strength.
The new system also puts “rats” at a significant disadvantage in the endgame if they haven’t engaged in combat throughout the match. In addition to making the game more predictable in terms of opponents, the new system also places “rats” in a significant disadvantage if they arrive at the endgame without having engaged in combat. They will be severely underpowered compared to others in the final circle. Amidst these changes, the new Legend upgrade system offers a choice of advantages when reaching the blue and purple evo ranks.
For example, when reaching the purple evo with Fuse, you can choose between a speed boost or the ability to see grenades through walls. These advantages vary, from predictable ones like faster cooldowns to seemingly overpowered ones like Lifeline’s self-revive and Caustic’s self-repairing gas. Overall, it seems like a positive direction for Apex Legends, as it refocuses on fighting for what you have and penalizes those who abandon their squad or sit out the match. Combined with the changes to the ranked system in Season 20, Apex Legends aims to reward skillful play once again.
Source: Kirk McKeand for GLHF.