Apex Legends developer Respawn has announced that the popular battle royale game is getting a new limited time mode (LTM) — Control. The new game mode will go live along with the 12th Season of Apex Legends — Defiance — and will be the first big team mode for the game. In Control, the key to winning a game is by gaining control of the zones, rather than defeating the enemy. Along with the new LTM, Apex Legends Season 12 will also introduce a new character called Mad Maggie.
The new LTM for Apex Legends was announced through a blog post on Electronic Arts website. The new game mode — Control — is a big team mode that has 9 players in each team. Control is a separate game mode from Battle Royale and Arena and will go live on February 8 but will only be available for three weeks. It will go live with Season 12 of Apex Legends — Defiance.
As per developer Respawn, the new game mode will have infinite respawns along with quick respawns. The aim of Control mode is to gain control of the zones within the map, rather than defeating the enemy team. The battlefield will quickly change, and players will have to be equally quick in adapting to new strategies. Players can choose from any of the characters and will get to select one of the six pre-determined loadouts to adjust strategies.
Once a team occupies a zone, they earn points every second, and the more zones a team controls, the more points they earn. A match is won when a team accumulates 1,250 points. Another way to earn points in Control is via Capture Bonuses. Here, the selected zone will get a one-time point award and a countdown will start. Once the countdown elapses, the team that has the zone captured will earn a hefty bonus. Owning a zone also means players can choose where to respawn.
After a team has managed to occupy all three zones, the match will go into a Lockout. Here, a timer starts and if the controlling team manages to hold the fort till the timer ends, they will automatically win the game. Lockout is aborted if the opposing team manages to capture any one of the zones.
Control is also introducing a ratings system where players who capture zones, kill enemies, and assist teammates can grow their rating. It is divided into three tiers — Blue, Purple, and Gold. Each tear gets progressively harder, but in turn unlocks more powerful weapons. Ratings also reset once a player does
Apex Legends has also introduced a new character — Mad Maggie. The tactical ability of the new player, who is a Rebel Warlord, is Riot Drill that forces enemies out of their cover by burning them. Her passive abilities include Warlord’s Ire that scans and highlights enemies she damages and can move faster with a shotgun. Finally, her ultimate ability is Wrecking Ball which throws a ball that releases speed-boosting pads and detonates nearby enemies.