Not long ago, we were invited to participate in a special media showcase event and received some重磅 news—it's a rare sight, but Apex Legends has actually launched a crossover event with the famous "Gundam" franchise.
For this crossover event, besides adding numerous Gundam-themed landmarks to the map—such as fallen Zaku and GM units, or towering complete Gundam maintenance racks—what excites Gundam and "Apex" fans the most are probably the eight hero crossover skins.
Although these Mobile Suits strike poses reminiscent of Apex Predators' casual demeanor, which might look a bit odd, we still have to praise Respawn for giving us the opportunity to sortie in Gundam form and hunt across the ultimate battlefield.
In addition, this crossover event offers Apex fans eight new weapon skins. Furthermore, during the event, the care package weapon, the Kraber Sniper—also known as the "Beam Rifle"—will feature a new secondary attack mode capable of infinite wall penetration and devastating power.
After activating the secondary mode, players can leap and hover high in the air, scanning and highlighting nearby enemies. By charging up, they can release a powerful penetrating beam that obliterates Everythinggj in its path—if luck is on your side, wiping out an entire squad with one shot is not just a dream.
This crossover also introduces a new self-destruct Wildcard. When a player is knocked down by fatal damage, they can actively trigger self-destruct mode, instantly eliminating all Legends within a certain range. As long as the self-destructing player has teammates still alive, they can redeploy by jumping back into the match.
There are also Funnel Mines—essentially floating mines—that players can deploy in any corner of the map. Their mechanism is somewhat similar to automated turrets; they can track, lock onto, and attack enemy players within range, dealing 10 damage per hit.
In addition, this crossover provides players with new toys: Beam Sabers and Heat Whips. Both heirlooms can be obtained from event crates.
Following the media showcase, we also had the privilege of having a brief conversation with the developers at Respawn Entertainment responsible for this crossover event.
Below is the full interview.
Q: Can players interact more with these Gundam-themed landmarks during actual matches?
A: Most models are static, but we expect the many surrounding Gundam maintenance racks to serve as quite exciting stages for combat.
Most interactions featuring Gundam elements are part of the Wildcard section, which we will introduce later.
Q: Do the heroes' Gundam skins have corresponding skill release animations or special inspect actions in first-person view?
A: Unfortunately, we did not prepare special first-person animations for these skins. However, we have included many interesting little Easter eggs during the drop phase, so you can look forward to them.
Q: With so many heroes receiving Gundam skins, could this cause issues with hero recognition during matches? Might it become harder for players to identify who they are facing?
A: Designing Gundam crossover skins for so many characters was indeed a significant challenge. However, our primary goal was to avoid violating the heroes' design backgrounds as much as possible. We aimed to find the most suitable Gundam appearances for them without adjusting most heroes' hitboxes or interaction zones.
Q: What do you think was the biggest challenge for the development team in recreating uncommon weapon types from the "Gundam" universe, such as Beam Sabers, Heat Whips, and Beam Rifles, in an FPS game?
A: The biggest challenge was ensuring effectiveness and gameplay within Apex Legends while staying true to the source material. For instance, we initially wanted to recreate the scene of beam rifles shattering Gundam mobile suits, but after several attempts, we realized it wasn't feasible, so we quickly pivoted to other approaches. It took several revisions before we finally settled on the current design.
Q: Does the special beam attack mode of the Kraber Sniper from the crossover care package consume a fixed amount of bullets, or only the remaining ammunition in the magazine?
A: I'm surprised you noticed that detail. Yes, the Beam Rifle—specifically the Gundam crossover special attack mode for the Kraber Sniper—only consumes the remaining ammunition in the magazine. Therefore, players can flexibly choose their attack method based on needs during actual combat.
Q: Why did you choose the "Gundam" IP for this crossover?
A: The Apex Legends development team always hopes to expand more collaboration possibilities for this title, and "Gundam" is definitely a choice that excites both developers and players alike.
Q: Will there be playable characters from the "Gundam" IP joining Apex Legends in the future?
A: Currently, we have no such plans. This "Gundam" IP crossover is a short-term event, so landscape elements, crossover skins, special care packages, and additional weapon attack modes essentially constitute the entirety of the collaboration.
