Continuing the bizarre trend of FPS crossovers, the heroes of Apex Legends are set to collide with the iconic Gundam universe. March 10 is the day of the Apex Legends x Gundam collaboration, so you don’t have much time to learn your XXXG-0102 Gundam Deathscythe Hell from your XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero.
Though Apex Legends isn’t the first battle royale game to get a lick of Gundam paint-Overwatch, for example, enjoyed four limited-time skins in the Spring of last year-but it could be the first to get a whole mode based on the source material. That I’m aware of, anyway.
I’ll admit that I’m clueless when it comes to all things Gundam, but I’ve played a good amount of Apex Legends to know that it doesn’t immediately lend itself to mech fights despite the Titanfall pedigree of its studio. Granted, I also don’t know enough about Gundam to make this assumption. Look, I’m more of an Overwatch guy these days, and the Overwatch Nier collab (which just so happens to launch on the same day) is where you’ll find me when this drops.
Still, I’m very intrigued. After all, these kinds of things make much more sense in a crazy sci-fi shooter versus Call of Duty, and it’s cool to see how creative developers are getting with their franchise mash-ups. The pairing is so cool, in fact, that one of the most liked comments on the trailer is from a player worried that the trailer looks too good. For Apex Legends, its Gundam team-up brings “iconic Gundam-inspired combat” to let players “live out their dream of fighting in the Gundam universe,” which is a frankly odd claim given you can hop on Steam and do just that with half a dozen purpose-built Gundam games.
Alas, there’s a bit more to it than that. During the Apex Legends x Gundam event, the Broken Moon map is dressed up like a Gundam battlefield. Smashed up Mobile Suits litter the arena while Wing Gundam statues offer a way onto higher ground to do battle as ships duke it out in the skies above. The iconic Buster Rifle appears in this flavor of the map, letting its looter launch upward to scan for enemies no matter where they are. Take your shot, and its laser pierces cover and “explodes on impact,” making it a devastating combo I certainly wouldn’t want to go up against. Scream shenanigans all you want, this thing is a perfectly legal wallhack. At least Bit Staves are around to soak up some of that damage.
The event brings a sliver of Gundam flair to chaotic battlefields of the Wildcard mode, too. Already known for things like “loot explosions,” themed wild cards like Epyon’s Lash add a magnetic melee pull as a Tactical ability, while the Heavyarms Salvo wild card lets you mark targets for an air strike after landing enough hits. On the slightly defensive side, Zero Sacrifice causes you to explode on death, potentially taking out nearby opponents in a brutal last stand. That one has me reminiscing about the good old days of getting stuck by a grenade in Halo.
But the Apex Legends x Gundam event isn’t all about wacky gamemode quirks and bombastic new weapons. If you prefer to show off your mecha otaku pride without switching up the rules of engagement, legendary skins inspired by the most iconic Mobile Suits of the lot drop alongside it. Though the most surprising part of this is that three new Apex Legends-inspired Gundam Gunpla go up for pre-order on March 18 as well. Those are the bread and butter of the franchise: the sort you meticulously piece together and sit on a shelf somewhere.