Apex Legends Season 16: Revelry Launch Trailer Confirms TDM Is Coming, But No New Legend

Apex Legends developer Respawn Entertainment has just released the launch trailer for the popular battle royale's upcoming season. Confirming both leaks from various dataminers and previous statements made by Respawn, the trailer for Season 16: Revelry reveals that for the first time in Apex Legends history, no new legend will be joining the squad, but players will finally get a new weapon for the first time since Season 11, the Nemesis: a new energy weapon that Lifeline can be seen toting around in the festivity-focused launch trailer, which featured massive, floating balloon versions of the bobblehead legend weapon charms.

Similarly to the addition of a burst-fire energy assault rifle in place of a new legend, the game will also be ditching Arenas in favor of TDM (a decision that, for the moment, seems to be permanent). As explained in a developer blog posted alongside the trailer, TDM will be permanently replaced by Mixtape Mode, which features a rotating list of game modes: Control, Gun Run, and TDM. TDM is a 6v6 mode that makes use of some former Arenas maps, like Skull Town and Habitat 4.

As the trailer reveals, these modes--especially Control and TDM--are heavily tied to the plot. The two-minute trailer features all 23 legends engaging in combat in the Apex Games' newest mode: TDM. The trailer is quick to remind viewers that the new mode is sponsored by Silva Pharmaceuticals, a company owned and operated by Octane's grandfather, Torres Silva (known as 'Duardo' after killing Octane's father and taking his place).

The trailer depicts Lifeline and Mad Maggie--who first met in Season 12's launch trailer--teaming up despite their differences. At one point, an enemy squad has Maggie pinned down, but Lifeline is out of ammo and appears to run away, which leaves Maggie rather unimpressed. But in reality, Lifeline is darting towards a Supply Bin, which opens to reveal the Nemesis. Now armed to the teeth, Lifeline easily takes down the enemy, commenting that she and Maggie "don't make such a bad team after all." Maggie replies with "We'll see," but it's clear she's impressed with the medic's initiative and marksmanship, as she's grinning when she gets to her feet.

Naturally, Maggie then proceeds to headbutt one of the camera drones filming the match, cracking the screen and knocking it out of the air. The scene shifts to reveal that Lifeline's mother, Cherisse Che, is still in cahoots with Duardo Silva, as the two of them are seen watching the match remotely from the safety of Duardo's underground lair. Beneath the camera feed of the match, the algorithm Crypto unintentionally discovered before he joined the Games is displayed on a massive terminal. The last time we heard about the algorithm, it was in the possession of the now-deceased Quentin Willis, a Syndicate boss who kidnapped Crypto's sister and framed him for her murder (and was also mean to Pathfinder). How Duardo and Cherisse got a hold of the algorithm isn't clear, but it's definitely bad news.

The algorithm displays the odds of which legend will win any given match. It initially declares that Fuse is 87% likely to win the match. After Maggie headbutts the camera drone, the algorithm changes its mind, and declares Maggie is most likely to win the match. The her winning odds shoot past Fuse's and hit 94% before the camera cuts away.

Apex Legends Season 16: Revelry launches on February 14 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, with the gameplay trailer scheduled to debut on February 8. If you haven't already, make sure you've finished up the Celestial Sunrise Collection Event's free reward track--and completed your Eclipse battle pass--before Season 16 goes live.

Apex Legends is free to play on console and PC. A mobile version of the game, Apex Legends Mobile, is available to play on Android and iOS devices, but will be sunset on May 1, 2023.