Apex Legends Doesn't Need Titans, But I'm Ready To Be Proven Wrong

You've heard it a million times, but Titanfall 2 really is the best FPS of the last console generation. While some changes to multiplayer felt like a step backwards from the first game (give me shooting the s*** out of a Titan's circuitry any day instead of faffing with batteries), I still revisit it every few months and wish it got the chance to shine.

Luckily for us, though, Respawn transplanted much of what worked for the franchise into a battle royale setting, and now we have Apex Legends - but the spectre of Titanfall is looming large as we head into Season 9.

I'm not sure if that's a good thing, yet.

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Apex Legends Doesn't Need Titans, But I'm Ready To Be Proven Wrong

In a previous interview with Eurogamer, Respawn's Drew McCoy explained that Titans in the Titanfall franchise feed the power fantasy of piloting a robot the size of a building, but that having them in Apex Legends' early prototypes didn't work out.

"So we were prototyping that and they were a power-up, and that was really detrimental to a battle royale. Battle royales are supposed to be like Poker - everyone comes to the table with the same possibilities."

Now, with the game approaching season 9, leaks have revealed what appears to be a character calling in a Titan.

I love me some mech-piloting action, but I can't think of anything that would disrupt Apex Legends' signature flow more. Combat in Respawn's battle royale is based around gear and movement in equal measure. Sliding down a hill to be faced with a Titan and the ability to shred through the armour you spent the time to loot/craft/upgrade is bad enough, but they're also unlikely to be felled with your standard weaponry.

Titanfall's EPG-1 is coming, according to leaks, but that's one weapon that we'll have to find and carry for one singular purpose.

That said, I think if any developer has earned the right to go a little crazy with its Battle Royale, it's Respawn.

For all we know, these Titans (if they are included), will be stationary, have blind spots, or need to be 'charged up' somehow. They could even be part of a limited-time mode where everyone has one.

I'm hoping that whatever the developer does feels less like a homage to Titanfall and more like a step forward for Apex Legends. I wasn't sure about jump pads until I hopped on one, and even Revenant's Death Totem feels pretty balanced after some tweaks.

Apex Legends Season 9 kicks off next month. Check out all we know here.