New healing legend Immortal could be coming to Apex Legends

M Alzamora Published 26/08/2019

Apex Legends only has one true healing character, but new leaks may have tipped players off to a new healing legend by the name of “Immortal.”

The leaked details are courtesy of Respawn Entertainment’s own blunder. The developer left relevant game files in the client patch for the Iron Crown event. It’s believed there are at least 13 other characters now in the works

According to the alleged leaked materials, Immortal’s passive, tactical, and ultimate abilities all work around the concept of healing. The character can affect both player health and shields, making them a hybrid of the vitality expert Lifeline and the shield-repairing Wattson.

The passive ability “Hard to Kill” offers a potent effect that allows you to revive yourself after you’ve been downed. Their tactical ability interestingly has a dual effect depending on the target. Shield Charger sends out tiny robots who can repair teammates’ body armor, while Shield Teardown does the reverse, aggressively targeting enemy shields.

Immortal’s ultimate ability, titled “Rise of the Phoenix,“ sounds even more intriguing. Players will receive a full heal and shield repair after an eight-second channel, and teammates can revive themselves for 30 seconds after the ability’s use.

As with any character that can cheat death, Immortal may sound overpowered on the surface. Developer Respawn will need to approach balance carefully to avoid an oppressive meta with abilities that potentially flip any war of attrition on its head.

For what it’s worth, Apex already gives players the ability to self-revive if they’re lucky enough to find the level four knockdown shield in their looting sprees. If the effect is identical, it would take 15 seconds for players to pick themselves up and jump back into the fight, a practical eternity in this fast-paced battle royale.

Apex Legends players are typically heady enough to notice when a player can pick themselves up, and outside of prolonged fights, it’s rare that someone with one of these shields actually survives the attempt to use it. It should be even more obvious when players see an Immortal on the enemy squad.

Whether one feels excited or dreadful about Immortal, know that the character’s release is not guaranteed. Respawn could eventually change the abilities or scrap them altogether, but the developer is clearly considering new ideas as the Apex universe continues to expand.

M Alzamora

About M Alzamora

There are few things that writer M Alzamora loves more in life than Pokemon. And there are even fewer things that she loves more than her favorite Pokemon, Eevee. But M’s appreciation for gaming isn’t just limited to Nintendo’s famous pocket monsters. She’s interested in every type of game across every genre of gaming, and she has the credentials to prove it. M’s work has also been seen on Working Classicists and gaming sites.

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