After 5 years, Apex Legends is going back to the beginning with a Fortnite-style mode letting you experience the launch version of the battle royale FPS

If you're finding yourself nostalgic for the heady days of 2019 battle royale games, EA and Respawn have just the thing with Apex Legends: From the Rift. The new season, which goes live today, features a mode hearkening back to the original 1.0 launch.

"Step back in time to the experience that started it all: Launch Royale," the devs explain in the announcement. "This new LTM drops players into the original Apex Legends circa 2019 - it’s the old school weapons, Legends, abilities, ruleset, and map that started it all. That means no EVO Armor or Ability Upgrades - just pure skill and your wits to survive the Apex Games."

The full patch notes at that link make clear that that Launch Royale isn't just a return to the original Kings Canyon map. Loot distribution and ring timings have returned to 1.0 values, Legends have had the "majority" of their kits returned to their original balance settings, and old-school movement tech like bunny hops and punch boosting are back on the menu.

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Apex Legends isn't the first big battle royale to try an appeal to nostalgia. Fortnite OG brought Epic's battle royale back to its roots last year, to tremendous effect - the game smashed its concurrent player record as players flocked to re-experience Chapter 1. Whether the effort works as well for Apex Legends remains to be seen, but after big recent missteps like the aborted battle pass changes it feels like the game's in need of a little momentum.

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