Apex Legends is one of the few ongoing games that hasn't received a current-gen update on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. But Respawn says that'll soon change.
During a press event for the upcoming Defiance update, Respawn teased an upcoming upgrade for Apex Legends that'll increase its performance on current-gen consoles. Respawn said it'll be coming soon, although it didn't say just how soon. Respawn also didn't say what the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S update would focus on in terms of performance. It might be aimed more towards higher frame rates given the fact Apex Legends is a competitive shooter, or they might be aimed at greater fidelity on 4K screens.
Alongside the tease of a current-gen update, Respawn also devoted some time to talk about Mad Maggie, the new Legend coming in the Defiance update. Apparently, Mad Maggie's abilities were originally intended to a Polish Legend called Hasaria, a SWAT-style cop that didn't quite make it out of the planning phases. Instead, Mad Maggie adopted Hasaria's kit as she moved from concept to production.
Respawn always intended Maggie to be a rival for Fuse much the same way it made Revenant and Loba arch enemies. However, Fuse and Maggie were initially supposed to be a lot friendlier. A sibling rivalry sort of evolved into a far more antagonistic one until Respawn arrived at the current narrative where Maggie feels abandoned by Fuse.
In the same press event, Respawn narrative lead Sam Gill also dove deep into Maggie's Māori background and how Respawn even hired a Māori consulting firm to establish Maggie's credentials.
“It's really important that we work with a consultancy, with genuine Māori to make sure that [Maggie] is as authentic as possible, that she is someone that can be aspirational in her own way,” he says. “And so we worked with a team called Māui Studios in New Zealand, specifically with a guy named Vincent Egan who's incredible - one of the smartest dudes I've ever worked with really.”
Apex Legends: Defiance arrives on all platforms on February 8.