EA and Respawn have just debuted a new gameplay trailer for the latest season for Apex Legends, which is up to its 26th season now since the free-to-play movement-focused battle royale launched in 2019. Season 26: Showdown will arrive on all platforms on August 5, 2025, bringing some significant changes to the gameplay, including a new permanent mode, Wildcard.
Wildcard is a new mode that really lets players break the tried-and-true systems of Apex Legends. Gone are any cares towards tactical synergies between Legends. You can stack your whole team with the same legend if you want in Wildcard, as you zip and fly around the altered version of Kings Canyon which has been tuned with more ziplines, more launch pads, and every player gets a second chance without having to be revived, so long as you die before the final ring.
Looting has also been simplified and streamlined in this mode to make everything as action-packed as possible.
Other changes beyond the addition of Wildcard as a new permanent mode include the introduction of Elite weapons, the first of which is the RE-45. Two Legends, Caustic and Bangalore, are getting significant buffs this season. Amps are being introduced as new passive upgrades players can pick up in ranked and unranked matches. Hop-ups will be locked to weapons now instead of being pick-ups on the ground for players to loot. The reign of the Jumpmaster has ended, as ranked matches will now feature pre-assigned drop zones instead, and the E-District map is getting a switch to a daytime setting.
These are also just the highlights regarding the big changes, as the full details will be unveiled with the full patch notes that will arrive a day before Season 26 goes live, on August 4, 2025.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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