The next Apex Legend will be a sniper. Allow us to introduce Vantage, and all of her abilities.
Season 14 is shaping up to be far more popular than Season 13 was. Not only are we getting some great balance changes and the return of Skull Town, but we also think the new Legend will be really popular. Sure, Newcastle was a disappointment, and is already at the very bottom of the pick-rate charts, but this next Legend is kitted out with a more satisfying (and far more powerful) set of abilities.
Allow us to introduce Vantage, she's a sniper, and a badass. We sat down with the Apex devs to talk about Vantage, and in this article, we'll introduce you to her lore and her abilities.
Who Is Vantage?
Vantage is the daughter of an escaped convict who grew up in the Outlands like Bloodhound. The story begins before Vantage was born, when her mother was falsely accused of a terrible crime (we don't yet know what). Her mum was pregnant with Vantage at the time, but was nevertheless sent to prison on a secure transport ship. However, the ship crashed in the Outlands.
Vantage's mum escaped the ship somehow and gave birth to Vantage in the wilderness. She raised her daughter alone in the Outlands, and the two of them became great hunters. But when she grew up, Vantage became curious, and went to visit the crashed prison ship. This is where she almost died, and first met her animal companion Echo before her mum came and saved her.
That's all we know about her lore so far, but based on the promo material we've seen, we expect to hear a lot more about her mum's crimes soon.
Natalie Cañizares will be joining this talented ensemble of voice actors when Vantage is released:
New Apex Legend Vantage: Abilities
We think these abilities will make Vantage one of the most popular Legends overnight, check it out.
What Is Vantage's Tactical: Echo Relocation
As the official description will read:
Position your winged companion Echo and then launch towards him. Must have line of sight to Echo for launch.
This is basically a crossover between Newcastle's remote control shield, and Loba's Jump Drive. Echo is a remote controlled bat that you can release and then order to move to certain positions. You can then jump to Echo's location.
Fantastic, who doesn't love a bit of extra mobility. Every top-tier Legend has something in their arsenal for movement, and this is a particularly good one because you have so much control over it. It doesn't have the best range, but it looks like enough to get you out of most situations. But beware, you can be shot while jumping to Echo.
What Is Vantage's Passive: Spotter's Lens
As the official description will read:
Aim down sights to scout with your eyepiece (unarmed or with mid-to-long-range scopes) and use a bullet drop indicator to see where your shots will land.
This is basically two passives for the price of one. And the first part is absolutely clutch. When you're unarmed or using a 2x or greater scope, and you hold your crosshair over enemies, you reveal their shield percentages and how many members of their squad are still alive. That kind of information will be invaluable when deciding whether to push or hold.
The second part of the passive, which allows you to see where your long-range shots will land, is situational but strong. For any players that like to engage in long-range firefights, this is going to be one of their favorite abilities.
I'm going to be this hype whenever I spot a solo as Vantage:
Vantage's Ultimate: Sniper's Mark
As the official description will read:
Use your custom sniper rifle to mark enemy targets and apply a damage bonus for you and your team.
This gives you a custom rifle, similar to Rampart's Ult. The rifle hits for 50 damage on base, but when you hit, you "mark" enemies, and deal double damage with each subsequent shot (so 100 damage). Even her teammates get a bonus 15% when hitting the "marked" enemies. The rifle is supposedly an early generation Sentinel, and it will not take up one of your two primary weapon slots.
This sounds really fun, and potentially really strong. But we saw how lackluster Rampart turned out to be with a special weapon for an Ult, so let's not get ahead of ourselves until we see it in action.
When Will Vantage Be Released?
Vantage will be released when Season 14 begins on Tuesday, August 9, at 10:00 PT (13:00 ET / 18:00 BST / 19:00 CEST). There will be a pre-download of the patch available approximately 12 hours before it's implemented, so if you prepare and get it installed, you can start playing the minute it goes live.
That's all we know about Vantage for now. She sounds pretty great, doesn't she? But she won't be an easy Legend to use. If you're just getting started in the game, maybe you want to keep your eyes on the best beginner Legends instead.