Legend upgrades and new shield system explained for Apex Legends Season 20

Apex Legends Season 20 will mark one of the most significant overhauls of the Legends, as well as a total rework of the armor/shields system in Apex. Here’s everything you need to know about Legend upgrades, and how it will interact with shields in Season 20.

Respawn, developers of Apex Legends, described this change as “the largest change to Legends since launch”, with every single existing character being granted four total upgrades to their kit.

However, these upgrades will be added during the match, and earned by playing, rather than constantly equipped. All Legends’ core abilities remain unchanged.

These new upgrades will add or augment the current abilities, although none of them are just a straight-up ‘buff’, like added damage or duration.

The upgrades are earned through evo – the same evo points that level up your shield, but this means the shield system itself is also changing. Here’s how it will all work in Apex Season 20.

Legend upgrade system explained in Apex Legends

Here’s the basics of how the new Legend upgrade system works in Apex:

• Each Legend has 4 total upgrades available
• During the match, there will be two opportunities to pick an upgrade
• Examples include modifying a tactical, or adding something new altogether
• You gain evo by fighting, as well as by playing your Legend’s class
• The two upgrade opportunities will occur in the early to mid game

Respawn Entertainment

Gibraltar for example will be able to pick upgrades like “Revive allies to 40 HP” or “Auto reload shotgun on knocks”.

You will have to choose which of these upgrades you want to use, before getting another two options with your second upgrade.

As you can see, this upgrade system is linked to evo shields, so next, we need to look at how these two systems interact.

Also, to clear up any confusion, Respawn confirmed that the upgrade system will be in all modes of Apex, including Ranked and ALGS.

Shield changes in Apex Legends Season 20

Starting in Season 20, your armor level is now tied to your upgrades. Armor will no longer be a lootable item, so the only way to level it up is by gaining evo points.

You can earn evo in several ways, in addition to just doing damage. A new addition will be evo harvesters, which are stationed at random around the map, and grants evo to your whole squad. There are also evo caches, which are rare items that grant a large amount of evo, but are significantly harder to find.

Respawn Entertainment

The other way to gain evo is to play your class role, for example, scanning survey beacons.

You might be wondering about shield swapping from deathboxes, and don’t worry, the developers at Respawn have thought about this too. Now, enemies will drop ‘shield cores’ in their death box, which can be looted.

Respawn Entertainment

If the shield core represents a higher level than your current shield, you will get the extra as “overshield”. This is a temporary pool of shield, that once depleted, is gone forever.

What about crafting?

In Season 20 of Apex Legends, crafting materials are being removed entirely from the game. Instead, replicators will simply be free to use, but are much simplified.

Respawn Entertainment

They will only serve healing items like med kits, shield batteries, and squadmates’ banners. Crafting will now also be pretty much “instant,” the devs said.

Notably, replicators will only be useable once, so pick wisely, as it will be gone after you choose.

That’s everything you need to know about the overhaul to the upgrade and armor system in Apex Legends. The new season goes live on Tuesday, February 13.