Experience Apex Legends’ 2019 origins with Launch Royale: original map, weapons, and mechanics return in Season 23 limited-time mode
Launch Royale: A Trip Down Memory Lane
Respawn Entertainment is reintroducing the authentic 2019 launch version of Apex Legends through Launch Royale, marking a strategic move that closely mirrors Fortnite’s successful OG season approach.
Apex Legends Season 23 resurrects the original King’s Canyon battleground and vintage weapon arsenal, offering newcomers who missed the initial launch period an opportunity to experience the game’s raw beginnings firsthand.
Throughout its evolution, Apex has undergone substantial refinements that generally improved gameplay balance. The inaugural version suffered from significant equilibrium issues, with specific Legends dominating the meta and weapons like the original Wingman exhibiting absurd power levels. The map design was comparatively simplistic, featuring clear favorite drop locations. Modern Apex represents a dramatically enhanced experience in numerous aspects.
Nevertheless, preserving the game’s origins holds substantial historical value. Given Apex Legends’ explosive debut and subsequent growth to peak popularity in 2022/2023, countless players never witnessed the unpolished charm of the original release.
The limited-time mode delivers the day-one gameplay experience in its entirety, imperfections included. This strategy proved immensely popular within the Fortnite community during their OG season, making Apex’s adoption of similar tactics in Season 23 a predictable development.
Core Gameplay Changes You Need to Know
The revival of original Apex Legends demonstrates our journey through five years of updates. Below is the comprehensive breakdown of returning features and mechanical reversions:
- Original Kings Canyon Map and POIs
- Original Loot Distribution and loot items
- Players drop with no equipment or healing items
- Armor Core/Evo has been removed, each piece of armor is pickup only and does not evolve. Original shield swapping mechanics are now in play.
- Original Ring timings and damage
- No Class-based Legend Perks, fortified perks removed
- Each Legend has had the majority of their stats and abilities reverted to the first season’s balance.
- Re-introduced being able to “bunny hop” while healing
- Re-introduced “punch boosting” where punching the ground behind you gives a slight speed boost
- Players can infinitely jump on ziplines, max 3 interactions before cooldown is removed
- Shields are not automatically regenerated on finishers, now exclusive to Gold Armor
- Equipment items and attachments have their original tunings from the first season
- Gold Items have their passives changed to their original state:
- Gold Knockdown – Self Revive
- Gold Backpack – Fast Heal
- Gold Armor – Shield Regeneration on Execution (this is not a trait granted by default anymore)
- Original capacities on all Magazines
- No Laser Sights, Sniper Magazines, Energy Magazines (they didn’t exist yet!)
- Original HopUps: Select Fire, Energy Choke, Turbocharger, Skullpiercer
- Helmet protections have been reverted to balance in first season
- Ammo stacks in inventory has been changed to match original carrying capacities
- Original Attachments equipped on every gun
- Original tunings on all weapons, Launch Royale variants have been created to authentically recreate the feeling of the original weapon handlings
- All hipfire is reverted to its much tighter spread
- All original Gold kitted weapons are restored
- Global headshot damage is now 2.0x (with some exceptions per weapon)
- Original Crate weapons come down in care packages: Mastiff, Kraber, LSTAR
Advanced Strategies for OG Apex
Mastering the original mechanics requires adjusting your modern gameplay habits. The restored bunny hop healing technique allows uninterrupted movement while using health items, but requires precise timing between jumps and healing activation. Practice in the firing range to develop the rhythm needed for combat situations.
Punch boosting provides crucial mobility advantages. The technique involves looking downward while punching to gain momentary speed bursts, ideal for escaping dangerous situations or initiating engagements. However, this leaves you vulnerable during the animation, so use it strategically rather than constantly.
Common mistakes include overestimating legend capabilities – remember that original balance favored aggressive characters like Wraith and Pathfinder significantly. Defensive legends lack the modern perks that make them viable today. Additionally, players often forget that shield swapping requires finding entirely new armor pieces rather than evolving existing ones.
Loot priority shifts dramatically in the OG meta. The Wingman dominates secondary weapon slots due to its original power level, while energy weapons remain scarce without dedicated magazines. Gold armor becomes exceptionally valuable since it’s the only way to regain shields during executions.
What This Means for Apex’s Future
While most adjustments faithfully recreate the 2019 release, observant players will note that “most” Legends received reversion rather than “all” – indicating selective balancing even within this nostalgia mode.
Launch Royale operates as a temporary experience, serving as both a nostalgia trip and market test to determine if classic Apex Legends retains appeal after years of refinement. With player numbers experiencing consistent decline, this throwback approach might provide the engagement boost Respawn seeks. Alternatively, we may rediscover exactly why certain characters received extensive nerfs over the past five years.
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