First introduced as a villain and member of the Apex Predators in Titanfall 2, robotic mercenary Ash is now set to make her debut as a playable character in Escape, the next upcoming season of Apex Legends. Ash is a highly mobile killer whose playstyle suits target assassination, marking, pinning, and then eliminating enemies.
Apex Legends: Escape – Ash
As revealed in the recent Stories From the Outlands episode, “Ash” was originally Dr. Ashleigh Reid, the scientist who atempted to steal the experimental fuel source from Olympus. Seemingly killed in that attempt, Reid’s brain was actually saved and transferred into a new robotic body; turning her into the ‘Ash’ from Titanfall 2. However, her personality has fractured. “Ash” is the outward-facing personality, while Leigh is somewhere deep within her own psyche. “Ash joins the Games to prove she has transcended all humanity,” writes Respawn; “Leigh’s determined to prove her wrong.”
Ash’s Tactical Ability is “Arc Snare,” which is ideal for pinning down her intended target. When activated, she hurls a snare that causes damage and also tethers the first enemy who gets too close; making them an easy target for Ash to eliminate. Her Passive Ability, meanwhile, is a tool for locating nearby targets. “Marked for Death” means that Ash can see the location of ‘recent’ death-boxes on her minimap. Plus, any surviving attackers still nearby will be marked for her.
Finally, Ash has her Ultimate Ability, called “Phase Breach”. Utilising her sword, Ash can; “Tear open a one-way portal to a targeted location”. It has yet to be seen how exactly this ability will work in practice, particularly compared to Wraith’s existing portal abilities. Players will have to learn for themselves when Ash becomes playable at the start of Apex Legends: Escape. The new season is due to begin on the 2nd of November, in just over one week’s time.