After several years on the market, the battle Royale shooter is still holding its players attention, and next week they will be able to revisit the game's original map. According to the earnings call this week, the game added two new characters, brought upgrades for next-gen consoles, and had double-digit income growth. Player complaints over glitch, ranked mode scoring, matchmaking, and almost any other small detail continue to mount.

One of the game's best features, its responsive controls, was affected by problems during the last season, which was particularly troubled.

The team confirmed on a call with reporters that it is listening to players of all levels about how to adjust the game. The design director said we should expect to see more changes in the full patch notes as the developers try to emphasize being a good team player. There is no word on when gift and cross progression will be available. Cross progression will allow you to change platforms so PC players can grind out daily challenges on the go on a Switch, for example.

The progression system that allows you to rerun the zero to 500-level grind and earn more packs is a change that will be notable to long time players. The process can be repeated up to four times. If you start from zero, the process will give you enough packs to get an in-game item at some point, but if you are already at a max level, it won't be enough.

There are a lot of changes in the game. The gold knockdown shield, which allowed downed players to self- avenge and sometimes win the game, has been eliminated. Many professional and high level players had complained that it was unfair, but the team says they are making changes based on what they see in all levels of the game. The gold backpack had features that allowed players to revive teammates with extra shields and health, while the same item now has features that allow it to hold additional healing items.

The Wingman pistol and the Spitfire machine gun are two of the game's guns that are changing. The only question is if everything will remain balanced or if an all-sniper / shotgun loadout will rule.

“Relic”
“Relic.”
Image: Respawn Entertainment

The old map, Kings Canyon, has been replaced by a new character. On a map that didn't fit how things are played now, a recent ranked season split revealed how much players have grown since the game's launch. The reforged Kings Canyon is not the same as before. Skulltown is back as a new area called "Relic" and there are other map changes intended to help fights proceed more quickly instead of the extended engagements that usually drew a third-party's attention before one team. The loot on the map is different and a new skybox is supposed to make it brighter.

She has a sniper rifle and is a legend with her skills. She can zoom in on enemies with her lens to see the team size, shield rarity, and Legend names. She can place her cute winged companion, a bat named Echo, and then launch it with a double jump.

The first rifle that works without being fully charged is hers. Over time, the charge builds and she adds more bullets for the shots. The scope can reveal enemies and highlight them with a diamond marker for 10 seconds.

It feels a bit risky to add another legend. Once too many characters were able to stun each other, the game turned into a game where nobody could hide. Even though the new additions aren't getting a lot of use, the new legends have been fairly balanced. The player protests like "No Apex August" don't seem to have caught on. For the new season, I hope everything goes well.