Apex Legends Escape introduced a new Legend and a massive new map, but all I care about are the Gravity Cannons. Sure, Ash is a great new addition to the roster (although she may very well be nerfed soon), and the new map Storm Point is full of new hazards that make gameplay even more exciting – but the Gravity Cannons change up the game like nothing else that's come before them.
Not only do the Gravity Cannons force you to approach map traversal in an entirely new way, and give players a chance to pull off some incredible trick play, but they offer an almost constant supply of hilarious moments. Respawn has captured lightning in a bottle with this new map addition, so much so that I haven't played any other battle royale since Apex Legends Escape debuted.
The cannon meta
The Gravity Cannons almost entirely replace the traditional Jump Towers on Storm Point. The towers, which have been around since the launch of Apex Legends, allow you to reposition by sending you up high enough into the air to trigger the glide mechanic usually reserved for the initial drop into the map. Gravity Cannons don't let you cover as much ground as the Jump Towers, but they move you much faster, shooting you in a predetermined direction towards another Gravity Cannon that acts as a receiving point. You can somewhat shift yourself while in the air so that you don't land directly in the receiving point, but aside from that, you're going where the Gravity Cannon wants you to go.
Despite the somewhat limiting movement options, players have already figured out myriad ways to use the Gravity Cannons for some serious galaxy brain plays. Like this Loba trick where a player uses her tactical ability mid-cannon jump and ends up right back at the start of the Gravity Cannon. This is a great way to escape teams that follow you into the cannon, giving you a chance to get behind them before they even land.
lobas_tactical_doesnt_maintain_her_momentum_in_a from r/apexuniversity
Wraith is another great example of how to hack the Gravity Cannons. During one match while being chased by an enemy squad, I pop Wraith's ult at the base of a cannon and hop through the portal she creates. I place the portal exit midway through my Gravity Cannon jump, way up in the air, and then drop to the ground and find cover. One member of the enemy squad follows me through the portal, but are stunned when they realize the end of my portal is in mid-air, and I take advantage of their temporary confusion, unloading a full clip into their face. The rest of the enemy squad stayed put, and I had enough time to get away and meet back up with my team.
But the Gravity Cannons aren't just about trick plays, as they provide unique ways to rotate around the map and avoid the ring – or other players. During one game, both my teammates quit as soon as we dropped out of the ship, leaving me in the highly-trafficked Antenna location with several other squads. As I try to quietly open loot crates to find a weapon, I get attacked by a squad. I manage to down two, but I hear their third teammate coming up the zipline to enact vengeance. I jump off the side of the structure and book it south towards Ship Fall, where I know a Gravity Cannon lies in wait. I successfully escape and manage to stay alive until the final three squads, before I'm taken out by a Fuse Mortar, but the thrill of using the cannons to escape a tense situation lasts for several matches afterward.
Cannon humor
But the true value of the Gravity Cannon lies not in its ability to provide great gameplay moments, but in its power as a comedic tool. Naturally, it didn't take players long to discover just how much hilarity the cannons can provide, especially when coupled with Storm Point's new creature hazards scattered across the map.
Just a couple of days after Apex Legends Escape launched, I stumbled across a TikTok of a Twitch streamer and his teammates punching Prowlers into the Gravity Cannon loading area. The Prowlers will chase you if you wander into their territory, so these players used themselves as bait to draw them closer to the cannon before unceremoniously meleeing them until they're swept away by the cannon's green light. The screams of joy and hysterical laughter in the TikTok are enough to keep my serotonin levels somewhat stable this week.
But it's not just TikToks and YouTube videos that have given me hilarious Gravity Cannon moments – my own playtime has provided plenty of giggles as well. Late in one match, my teammates and I take the long way around a rocky outcrop in order to avoid both a choke point and the tightening ring. Unfortunately, however, as soon as we round the corner we're met with an enemy team that has carved out a clever little camp spot complete with Wattson fences and Caustic traps.
"Go right, go right!" I yell into the mic. "The cannon!" Ignoring the protestations of my teammates, I holster both my weapons so I can sprint faster and fling myself into a cannon – which has a receiving point outside of the ring. I let loose a string of profanities as I'm immediately downed by the late-game circle, but quickly join in laughing with my squadmates. "We tried to tell you," one says, gasping for air between chuckles. "That was a spicy cannon."
The Apex Legends Gravity Cannons are a brilliant addition to the battle royale that offer a seemingly endless stream of great gameplay options and laughable moments. It's rare that a new feature feels like it's always belonged in the game, but these cannons are clearly meant to be. Here's hoping they never leave.
New Apex Legends: Season 11 Legend Ash is OP as hell, but that won't last long.
