The upcoming limited-time mode Control will only be in Apex Legends for the first three weeks in the game’s 12th season, but it might end up as a permanent addition to the game depending on the reception from fans.
Turning Control into a permanent mode is “something we can explore in the future,” game designer David Swieczko said in a press conference earlier this week. “The decision is to keep it an LTM for now. It’s a very different way of playing Apex, we love it, and we’ve had a ton of fun with it internally. We really want to see what the feedback is from players and how they engage with it.”
Control seems to be by and large the most impactful overhaul to the game and almost too big to be just a limited-time mode. Other temporary modes in Apex tended to focus on gear (like Armed and Dangerous and Gold Rush) or changes to mechanics (like season six’s Flashpoint or the Grand Soirée’s Always Be Closing).
Control, on the other hand, takes a much larger scale, with a new nine-vs-nine scenario and mechanics that don’t really slot into the battle royale format, such as gaining points for capturing zones and infinite respawns.
If Respawn Entertainment ends up making Control a permanent part of Apex, it wouldn’t be the first time a limited-time mode evolved into a feature in Apex due to popular demand. The Duos mode, which is now its own playlist in Apex, started as a temporary addition to the game during season three. It later returned during the Valentine’s Day event in 2020 before becoming a full-fledged mode in season four.
Players can try their hand at Control for the first three weeks of Apex‘s season 12, Defiance, starting on Feb. 8.
