Apex Legends Leak Suggests A Punishing New LTM For Hardcore Players Is On The Way

The popular YouTuber and prolific Apex Legends dataminer known as Thordansmash is now claiming he's discovered a new limited-time mode--one that's unlike anything players have seen before. The new LTM (which the leaker refers to as "Hardcore mode") allegedly pits players against each other in squads of three, just like the standard battle royale mode. There's a catch, however: Players will land with no visible HUD, a Common-tier body shield, and ammo will spawn less frequently.

Earlier today, the leaker tweeted details of what he claims to be an upcoming LTM that is not for the faint of heart. According to Thordansmash, each player's Common-tier body shield will stay common for the duration of the match, as the mode allegedly removes the EVO mechanic, along with all Rare, Epic, and Legendary shields. (The same presumably goes for helmets as well.) The only gold items on the field will be hop-ups like the Turbocharger. Additionally, players will have access to fewer health items. Though it's currently unclear how exactly this will be implemented, it likely means healing items will spawn less often, or players will be unable to carry as many of them as usual.

Legend abilities appear unchanged, but when it comes to weaponry, Thordansmash claims the new LTM contains no gold loot whatsoever, with the exception of hop-ups. Ammo spawns less frequently in this mode, but according to the dataminer, bullets will do more damage in this new mode than they do in standard matches. It's currently unclear whether Care Package weapons will be affected.

Of all the changes to the standard battle royale formula, the removal of the HUD will likely have the most impact on gameplay. Legends with passive abilities that allow them to scan Survey Beacons will be useless, as the minimap will not be visible on the screen. This may also result in players struggling to catch up to their teammates after lagging behind. No HUD also means no on-screen health indicators. Not only will players have less healing items to work with, they'll also have to make use of them much more carefully due to the fact that the status of their health and body shield will not be visible. Similarly, players will also have to rely on their instincts when it comes to using their abilities, as they won't be sure how much of the cooldown period is left on their ultimate ability. The only indicator will be the character's verbal announcement that their ultimate is fully charged.

Keeping track of bullets will also become important, in part because of their decreased spawn rate, but mainly because the absence of the HUD will mean they cannot see how much ammo they have left. Reloading should be done carefully and quickly. Of course, players will likely be able to get a glimpse of their loadout and how many items are at their disposal via the inventory screen, but in doing so, they may risk diverting their attention from the battlefield at the wrong moment.

All leaks should, of course, be taken with a grain of salt. But Thordansmash has a good track record when it comes to the legitimacy of the information he leaks, regularly predicting which skins will be in the store and which events are planned for the near future. Interestingly, when another well-regarded leaker posted Thordansmash's discovery to the official Apex Legends subreddit, the post was deleted twice. The third attempt to post info regarding the new mode was successful, with one of the subreddit's moderators leaving a cryptic apology and offering an explanation for deleting the first two posts. The mod's comment has served only to fuel the fires of speculation, mainly due to the fact that Respawn's developers often interact with fans of the game via Reddit.

There's no telling if or when players will actually see this new mode for themselves, but if it does appear in the future, it will be the first new LTM to hit the game since September's Gun Run (not counting recurring seasonal LTMs like Shadow Royale Winter Express). Players shouldn't get their hopes up, as the dataminer who claims to have discovered the new LTM has yet to provide documentation of its existence. But as the /r/ApexLegends moderator's comment suggests, the leaker may be withholding information in the hopes of avoiding real-life consequences. Obviously, players ought to remain skeptical until proof is provided... but they may also want to practice counting their bullets, just in case this HUD-less LTM makes an appearance after all.

Apex Legends is free to play on console and PC. A mobile version of the game, Apex Legends Mobile, is available for download on Android and iOS devices.