Apex Legends’ Olympus map gets new POIs, expanded footprint, more in Defiance update

With Apex Legends Defiance launching tomorrow, it’s time to take a more in-depth look at the changes we’ll see around Olympus as well as what to expect from the battle pass this season. Olympus will have an all-new look thanks to Mad Maggie, who’s responsible for the “sudden drop in altitude” for the normally airborne city. So, what all has changed in Olympus? Let’s take a closer look.

Olympus is now larger and offers “better rotational options”

To get things started, we’ll take a look at some of the goals the Apex Legends team wanted to implement for this refreshed Olympus map. Of course, the core map is unchanged, and you’ll still be sky-high in the airborne city. However, the map has been expanded, which spreads out squads from the maps center area. And that center area now isn’t the “only go-to combat zone,” which helps “reduce the frequency of spontaneous 3rd-parties.” In addition to that, there are now better rotational options and new interactive map toy and play spaces to help “attract players to new areas.”

Phase Driver is the first part of the map to be detailed in the overhaul. While a lot has changed around this unique POI, our favorite update is the new interactive portion of the Phase Driver. Though it’s unstable, players will be able to interact with it and, when activated, three loot rollers will “phase in.” At least one gold-tiered ball is guaranteed with each activation, though there’s a 45-second cooldown before you can use it again. However, each time you activate it, a loud noise is made that can be heard by players in the surrounding area, alerting them to a team looting up and calling for battle.

Terminal has also been redone and now has five entry points and exterior elevated platforms, making it a new central routing area for the map. The interior is designed to keep people flowing and engaging and there’s enough open space for 3rd-parties to be seen before they get too close, according to the developers.

There’s now an entirely new terrain zone called Shifted Grounds thanks to Olympus’ flexible design. It’s on the South side of the map and areas like Solar Array, Icarus, and Bonzai were pushed away from the center of the map to fit the new area. This is the first time that existing POIs have been moved without the map being destroyed, though the new zone’s artificial terrain plates can “glitch and shift” in unintended ways.

There are also quite a few small tweaks and additions to the map, including a new ramp that connects the terrain of Grow Towers to Phase Runner to navigate away in later circles, and several other QOL changes around the map.

We also got our first look at the upcoming battle pass, which will feature premium rewards for Seer, Loba, Crypto, Ash, and Lifeline to name a few. On top of the Legends themselves, there will be new reactive weapon skins, holosprays, and more. The battle pass will have both a free and paid tier depending on whether you want to drop real-world money, Apex Coins, or just play for free.

9to5Toys’ take

The Apex Legends Defiance update looks to be one of the largest releases in the game’s history. I’m looking forward to the new Control LTM the most, especially after seeing some gameplay from it last week. Plus, Mad Maggie looks like she’ll shake things up with her abilities, and I can’t wait to dive into the Apex Games as the newest Legend.

I’ll be firing up the game tomorrow once the update is live, jumping in with my squad and seeing what it’s all about. Do you plan to play Apex Legends Defiance?

Subscribe to the 9to5Toys YouTube Channel for all of the latest videos, reviews, and more!