Apex Legends dropped its Season 3 trailer with some hella big news, including a new map.
Suffice it to say, It. Looks. Awesome.
Here’s the trailer in full.
(See? Told you it was awesome.)
But there’s a lot more going on here than just a simple cinematic. We’ll start with the salient points and then dive into smaller context clues.
New Map
As the characters drop in, they can see new map and new zones. There’s a lot to cover here, so we went ahead and broke it out into a separate piece, which you can check out here.
Crypto is Hiding Something
Mirage jokingly refers to Crypto as the “second-smartest guy in the Outlands.” He then puts his hand on Crypto’s shoulder and asks him if he’s hiding something. Crypto immediately performs a defensive move on him.
Crypto’s response to Mirage indicates that the legends don’t know Crypto is behind the hack.
Numbers
As the two are dropping into the arena, Mirage says to Crypto, “I hope you know how to count, kid.”
Crypto replies, “Try to keep up, old man.”
Mirage later says, “This new guy better not mess up my stats.”
Respawn has already confirmed stat tracker changes.
(As an aside, this also a hilarious, next-level dig on a certain breed of competitive, stats-obsessed player.)
Near the end of the trailer, Crypto takes down enemies and Mirage goes, “Hey, those were mine!” This likely refers to the fact that the game’s stat trackers will now count character assists.
At the end of the trailer, Mirage says “That’s ten and eleven,” which is the total number of playable characters in the game. This may be a simple confirmation that there will only be one new character added to Season 3 as some players have requested more.
Crypto’s Abilities
The cinematic shows Crypto deploying a drone. From the context, it appears it allows Crypto to electrocute enemies, possibly dealing damage and stunning them the way that Wattson’s drone does. This is clear as he takes down Gibraltar.
It also shows that this drone may have video functionality or some type of ability that allows the player to identify enemy locations from a distance.
A brief segment from the Crypto character reveal trailer affirms this, showing a form of location-identifying technology.
New Weapon
WHAT IS THIS CRAZY GUN!!!????
Respawn has already revealed that the new gun is the Charge Rifle, a “directed-energy weapon." But still, it’s so much cooler to see it in action.
Focus on Mirage
The trailer primarily focuses on Mirage, a hint that he’ll play a big role in the forthcoming season. It’s possible this points to a Town Takeover like the Octane and Wraith-themed ones that appeared this season. Players may even see a Mirage-style town at Season 3’s launch.
Best Easter Egg Ever
In the cinematic opening, Octane plays video games across three screens. This is a very clever Octane-related Easter egg relating to his character’s genesis.
Side Notes and Questions
No Weapons on the Dropship
The cinematic opens on Bloodhound sharpening a knife while an announcement shares, “No weapons are allowed on the dropship.” Ha!
“For Arthur.”
In the trailer, Bloodhound shoots a gun and says, “For Arthur.” This is Bloodhound’s bird’s name. Does something happen to Arthur? PLEASE LET ARTHUR BE OKAY!
Mirage is Full of Himself
Early in the video, Mirage reads a magazine feature… about himself.
Zeroing in on magazine, it shows the next issue features Crypto, which foreshadows the video’s emphasis on the tension between the two.
He’s, Like, Really Full of Himself
Mirage also has posters of himself up in the background.
Like, Extrav, Extra-vagant, Extravagantly Full of Himself
The video shows him picking up his own action figure, a likely nod to the fact that players will be able to get their hands on official Apex Legends action figures in December. (And yes, the one in the cimemagraphic looks exactly like the one fans will be able to purchase. Mirage also takes that same stance when walking toward Crypto.)
Angry Pathfinder
This is the angriest I’ve ever seen Pathfinder.
Other Octane Games
Another Redditor pointed out that one of Octane’s screens appears to be Need for Speed. This may be a tie-in to a forthcoming Need For Speed release from Electronic Arts, due later this year.
The New Map Will Be the Only Map… For Now
Mirage wants to buy a drink for the person who took the tower down, likely meaning the tower at Repulsor that kept the animals out of Kings Canyon. This is an indication that the game will not have multiple maps, PUBG or Blackout-style, but will move the entire setting for Apex Legends to the new planet.
Crypto’s Melee Weapon
Crypto uses his drone to attack an opponent. While it seems as though this could play out as an heirloom similar to Wraith’s knife, it’s more likely this demonstrates one of the character’s finishers.
Turbulence = Mountainous Terrain
Lifeline responds to Mirage’s shaky response to dropship bumpiness by saying, “Chill, brudda. Just some minor turbulence. Totally normal for these parts.”
This indicates that the characters are flying over m0untainous terrain, which could be a map clue.
“Chill, Brudda.”
Please put this epic Lifeline voice line into the game so people (me) can use it when players (randoms) spam ping their banners.
Caustic Trap Play
Respawn took this highly memeable Caustic trap tactic and added it into the trailer.
Pathfinder’s High-Five
Just LOL at this with me.
What’s the Keyword?
It’s unclear what Crypto is hacking here, though some people may have guesses. However, the keyword is an interesting point to consider as it may be relevant in the future.
Korean Word?
At one point, Crypto says something that I can’t make out. Closed Captioning doesn’t help. One guess is that this is a South Korean word and I’d love to know what he’s saying.
Other Hidden Easter Eggs?
It then flashes by what looks to be Caustic’s studio, which contains some elemental compounds, screenshotted below in case anyone knows what these mean.
Then, the cinemagraphic moves past another room, with Crypto staring intently into a computer. There are some ones and zeros in the background as well as a pillow with a South Korean flag on the bed. The binary language may have some meaning.
Apex Legends Season 3 drops on Tues., Oct. 1. New players can download the game for free on PC, Xbox or PS4.
