Tomorrow in Apex Legends, on the 13th of July, the ongoing Genesis Collection Event will come to an end and the new Thrillseekers event will begin. Launching alongside this new three-week event is Overflow, the first new Arenas map to permanently join the mode’s existing selection.
Apex Legends Arenas Maps – Overflow
During the Genesis Collection Event, fans of Apex Legends’ new Arenas mode were treated to its first new map; Skull Town. However, this map was not a permanent addition to the mode, and will no longer be available to play once the event ends tomorrow. Overflow, however, is not an event-exclusive map. The map will be available from tomorrow onwards, and offers players a different style of gameplay for Arenas.
Overflow is the first Arenas map to feature a layout built around lanes. “[…] each location is separated by tall, lava-filled structures,” explains Respawn; “With this separation, players cannot easily spot early decisions made by the other team and will need to stay vigilant before committing to a side or risk being flanked”. This lane structure also limits the options for long-range sniping. While there are positions where long-range combat is viable (particularly the central Overlook area), these positions are far less common than on other Arenas maps.
Players should expect short- and medium-range combat to be the focus in Overflow. Additionally, teamwork will be especially important due to the greater opportunities for flanking and ambushing. The layout of the terrain should force players to think more about a tactical approach. It’s possible that Respawn is looking for ways to provide a more engaging experience in Arenas. (Now that it has been available for a little while and the novelty of the new mode has worn off.) Lane-centric maps are already commonplace in multiplayer shooters like Call of Duty. As such, it won’t be surprising to see more maps adopt similar layouts in future as Arenas develops further.