Apex Legends Character Guide: Every Legend’s Abilities And Backstory

Apex Legends has a different character for every playstyle. The squad-based battle royale offers 18 different Legends, each with their own set of abilities and lore. Respawn has also added a new Legend every single season, so the game is always evolving. Below is a complete guide, offering lore details for each Legend and a description of all their abilities.

Both of Apex Legends’ modes–battle royale and arenas–are traditionally played in squads of three, although there is a duos playlist for battle royales. Each Squad can only have one of each Legend, so players will need to figure out the best combination of three Legends for their own playstyle.

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Bangalore

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Anita Williams, also known as Bangalore, is from a military family where she, along with her four brothers, served in the IMC. Anita, along with her brother Jackson, were aboard the IMS Hestia when it was attacked. Jackson died saving Anita, who was stranded on a Syndicate planet. Now, she fights in the Apex Games in an attempt to raise enough money to pay a pilot to take her home to her family.

Bangalore is an attacker focused on dispersing large groups of enemies.

Passive Ability: Double Time

Bangalore runs faster for a short period of time after being shot while sprinting.

Tactical Ability: Smoke Launcher

Fires a smoke canister that explodes into a smoke wall on impact, used for obscuring enemies’ line-of-sight.

Ultimate Ability: Rolling Thunder

Calls in an airstrike that drops an airstrike across an area. Missiles sit on the ground for a short period before exploding.

Bloodhound

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Bloodhound is known in the Outlands as one of the best game hunters ever seen. The child of two engineers at the New Dawn industrial plant on Talos, they were raised by their uncle Artur after their parents were killed in a meltdown. Bloodhound was raised to believe in the Old Ways, a system that rejects technology and focuses on nature. However, they always had an interest in technology and ended up combining their knowledge of nature with technology to save their village from a goliath.

Bloodhound is a recon Legend, with skills focused on locating and following enemy squads.

Passive Ability: Tracker

Bloodhound can see tracks recently left behind by opponents and how long they have been there. Bloodhound can also use Survey Beacons to reveal the next circle’s location.

Tactical Ability: Eye of the Allfather

Bloodhound can briefly reveal enemies, traps, and clues directly in front of them.

Ultimate Ability: Beast of the Hunt

Beast of the Hunt enhances Bloodhound’s abilities, allowing them to run faster and highlight enemies in the environment. It turns the environment black-and-white and highlights enemies in red.

Caustic

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Andrew “Caustic” Nox is a brilliant scientist employed by Humbert Labs, where he works on pesticide gases. Nox attempted to create better pesticides to protect the crops of the Outlands but eventually grew tired of only testing on tissue, moving to live subjects. He became obsessed with the beauty in his destructive gas, eventually leading to conflict with other scientists, destroying the lab in the process. Now he competes in the Apex Games as Caustic, employing his deadly gases.

Caustic is a defender focused on fortifying his squad’s position.

Passive Ability: Nox Vision

Allows Caustic to see enemies through his gas. Caustic is also fortified, taking 15% less damage and not being slowed by bullets.

Tactical Ability: Nox Gas Trap

Drop canisters that release gas whenever players get near them or they are shot. The gas deals damage over time, ignoring shields.

Ultimate Ability: Nox Gas Grenade

Caustic throws a gas grenade, which covers a large area in deadly gas.

Crypto

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Tae Joon Park, also known as Crypto, is a brilliant hacker and an expert in drone technology. While he uses his drone to find hidden enemies in the Apex Games, his real purpose there is to find the people who framed him for murder. Park, along with his foster sister Mila Alexander, worked as computer engineers for the Mercenary Syndicate. They discovered an algorithm that could predict the result of any Apex Games match. This caught the attention of the wrong people and Alexander disappeared and Park was blamed for her murder.

Crypto is a recon Legend, focused on revealing enemy locations with his drone.

Enemies scanned by Crypto’s drone within 30 meters of your position are visible to you and your teammates. Crypto can also use Survey Beacons to reveal the next circle’s location.

Tactical Ability: Surveillance Drone

Crypto can deploy a controllable drone that can scan enemies in the surrounding areas. Enemies within range are scanned and visible. The drone can be left unmanned and will still scan enemies that come into range. If destroyed, the drone has a 40-second cooldown. The drone can also recover dead teammates’ respawn banners.

Ultimate Ability: Drone EMP

Crypto’s drone sets off an EMP, which damages shields, disables traps, and slows enemies.

Fuse

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Walter “Fuse” Fitzroy is a demolitions expert with a knack for bombastic showmanship. Fitzroy grew up on Salvo, a planet ruled by a rotation of mercenaries and warlords. There Fitzroy was a mercenary alongside his friend Maggie. While Fitzroy felt the call of the Apex Games arena, Maggie felt the drive to become the next powerful warlord. Salvo eventually lost its independence, becoming part of the Syndicate, giving Fitzroy his chance to join the arena, but Maggie was not willing to let him go without a fight.

Fuse is an attacker focused on displacing enemies using explosives.

Passive Ability: Grenadier

Fuse can stack one extra grenade per inventory slot. Fuse can also throw grenades farther, faster, and with more accuracy.

Tactical Ability: Knuckle Cluster

Fuse can launch a cluster bomb from his arm that continuously fires off airburst explosives after landing, damaging enemies.

Ultimate Ability: The Motherlode

Fuse launches a bombardment, which creates a circle of fire that damages any enemies that try to move through its walls.

Gibraltar

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Makoa Gibraltar is the son of two Search and Rescue Association of Solace volunteers, raised to understand the importance of protecting others. Gibraltar still has a wild side though. When he was younger, he and his boyfriend stole his father’s motorcycle for a joyride and ended up in a dangerous landslide. His father was able to save them but lost his arm in the process, causing Gibraltar to dedicate his life to helping people. He joined the Apex Games for a reason different than all the others: to protect his friends and squadmates from harm.

Gibraltar is a defender focused on shielding his teammates from harm.

Passive Ability: Gun Shield

Gibraltar has a gun shield that deploys when he aims down sights. The shield can absorb some incoming fire. Gibraltar is also fortified, taking 15% less damage and not being slowed by bullets.

Tactical Ability: Dome of Protection

Gibraltar can throw down a dome shield that blocks incoming and outgoing attacks. All allies and enemies can walk through the shield, but it cannot be destroyed.

Ultimate Ability: Defensive Bombardment

The defensive bombardment calls in a concentrated mortar strike on a position. This disorients enemies and damages them. It can also damage Gibraltar.

Horizon

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Dr. Mary “Horizon” Somers is an eccentric astrophysicist and is over 100 years old, technically. With the help of her assistant Dr. Reid, Somers discovered Branthium, which she believed to be the key to limitless energy. However, Branthium can only be found within a black hole, so Somers and Reid set out on a dangerous mission.

Reid betrayed Somers during the mission, stealing the Branthium and sending Somers’ shuttle into the black hole. While she managed to escape, 87 years had passed. Now Somers competes in the Apex Games to raise money for her research into time travel, so she may go back and spend time with her son.

Horizon is an attacker focused on using her abilities to rush enemies and displace them.

Passive Ability: Spacewalk

Horizon has increased movement control in the air and recovers faster after hitting the ground, due to her custom suit.

Tactical Ability: Gravity Lift

Horizon throws a device that creates a gravity lift. It propels both teammates and enemies straight up, boosting movement when exiting the lift.

Ultimate Ability: Black Hole

Horizon can throw the N.E.W.T. device, which creates a temporary mini black hole that pulls in enemies and holds them there. It does not deal damage.

Lifeline

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A combat medic, Ajay “Lifeline” Che is different from the rest of the competitors in the Apex Games. Che is the child of wealthy war profiteers, who left home after learning of the damage her family’s business caused. She joined the Frontier Corps, a humanitarian organization that helps those in the Frontier community in need of aid. She joined the Apex Games to raise money for the Frontier Corps and has no problem taking down anyone else in the games to do so.

Lifeline is a support Legend focused on healing and reviving teammates.

Passive Ability: Combat Medic

Lifeline uses her healing drone to revive teammates, leaving her free to move around and defend them. Lifeline can also open an extra compartment on blue supply bins.

Tactical Ability: D.O.C. Heal Drone

Lifeline can deploy a healing drone that will heal herself and her teammates over time, as long as they stand next to it.

Ultimate Ability: Care Package

Lifeline can call in a Care Package, which will fall from the sky. The package contains an assortment of healing items, gear, or weapon attachments of high quality.

Loba

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At the age of 9, Loba Andrade’s parents were killed by the hitman Revenant in front of her. Left with nothing, Andrade survived by pickpockets. After developing her thieving skills, she stole the Jump Drive bracelet, which allowed her to take her heists to another level. However, when she learned that Revenant joined the Apex Games, she began to plot her revenge, putting thieving on the back burner.

She sabotaged a factory producing Revenant bodies, destroying Skull Town and Thunderdome in the process. However, this wasn’t the only hidden factory producing these, so Andrade joined the Apex Games to find a way to permanently end Revenant.

Loba is a support Legend focused on finding high-quality loot for her squad.

Passive Ability: Eye for Quality

Loba can see Epic and Legendary rarity loot through walls, with the same range as her ultimate ability.

Tactical Ability: Burglar’s Best Friend

Loba can throw her jump drive bracelet, which will teleport her wherever it lands. It can also be retriggered mid-flight to drop straight down, allowing Loba direct control over where she ends up.

Ultimate Ability: Black Market Boutique

Loba can set up the Black Market anywhere, which will allow herself and any other legends to pick up two items within its range. Players can also pick up ammo without it counting as one of the items. Loba can manually close the shop at any time by interacting with it, to prevent enemies from using it.

Mirage

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Elliot “Mirage” Witt likes to stand out from the crowd. The youngest of four brothers, Witt only ever took one thing seriously: Holo-Pilot technology. Introduced to it by his mother, Witt learned everything he could about the technology, allowing him to create and control holograms of himself. His brother went missing during the Frontier War, driving Witt and his mother closer.

Mirage worked as a bartender, hearing amazing stories about the Apex Games. The riches and glory interested him, but he didn’t want to risk leaving his mother childless. However, his mother gave him a custom-made set of holo devices and told him to chase his dreams, leading Witt to become the life of the party in the Apex Games.

Mirage is an attacker focused on distracting and confusing enemies with his decoys.

Passive Ability: Now You See Me

Mirage automatically cloaks when reviving teammates or using a respawn beacon.

Tactical Ability: Psyche Out

Mirage can deploy a holographic decoy to confuse enemies. The decoy can either run to a marker or mimic Mirage’s movements.

Ultimate Ability: Life of the Party

Mirage deploys multiple decoys at once, all mimicking his movement while running in different directions. Mirage briefly cloaks upon use, before reappearing.

Octane

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Octavio “Octane” Silva is a natural-born daredevil. The son of the busy CEO of Silva Pharmaceuticals, Silva has always had everything he ever asked for. This led to Silva being bored, which resulted in Silva becoming a daredevil, performing stunts and posting holovids of them. Silva decided to beat the record for a nearby gauntlet by propelling himself across the finish line with a grenade. This stunt cost him his legs and the doctors told Silva his daredevil days were over. Silva didn’t like this and guilted his friend Ajay Che into forging an order to give him bionic legs. With the ability to repair his legs, Silva set his sights on the ultimate adrenaline rush, The Apex Games.

Octane is an attacker focused on quickly entering or leaving fights.

Passive Ability: Swift Mend

Octane automatically restores health over time when not in combat. Octane does not restore shields over time.

Tactical Ability: Stim

Octane moves 30% faster for 6 seconds upon use. Costs a chunk of health to use. Octane is slowed less by enemy attacks while active.

Ultimate Ability: Launch Pad

Octane can deploy a jump pad that propels Legends into the air. Legends can perform a second jump while in the air.

Pathfinder

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Pathfinder is an optimistic and upbeat MRVN (Mobile Robotic Versatile eNtity) modified for location scouting and surveying. He booted up decades ago in an abandoned warehouse with no knowledge of his creator or why he was there. Pathfinder has spent his time searching for his creator but has not found any information. He joined the Apex Games in hopes to draw the attention of his creator and to make a few new friends along the way.

Pathfinder is a recon Legend focused on getting teammates and himself from one location to the next.

Passive Ability: Insider Knowledge

Scanning a survey beacon reduces the cooldown of Pathfinder’s ultimate ability. Pathfinder can also use Survey Beacons to reveal the next circle’s location.

Tactical Ability: Grappling Hook

Pathfinder can fire a grappling hook, which will propel him towards his destination.

Ultimate Ability: Zipline Gun

Pathfinder can set up a zipline for everyone to use.

Rampart

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Ramya Parekh, or Rampart for short, is a blue-collar, small business owner who runs a popular modding shop on Gaea. Parekh made a name for herself in the underground gauntlet circuit, using her custom-modded gear. She took jobs from smugglers, Syndicate members, and anyone else willing to pay.

Parekh never had an issue telling people exactly what she thought of them, which may have led to a group of assailants burning her shop down. Left with nothing but an invitation to Apex Games, Parekh joined the games.

Rampart is a defender focused on setting up shields and a minigun, allowing her squad to deal high amounts of damage from a stationary position.

Passive Ability: Modded Loader

Rampart has increased magazine capacity and faster reloads when using LMGs and the minigun.

Tactical Ability: Amped Cover

Rampart can deploy a cover wall, which provides a crouch-height cover. The wall has a shield that goes up, which amps outgoing shots to do more damage and blocks a limited amount of incoming fire.

Ultimate Ability: Emplaced Minigun “Sheila”

Rampart deploys a mounted machine gun that anyone can use. It has a high ammo capacity but a long reload time. Rampart can only have three miniguns active at once.

Revenant

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Revenant was once a man, one with flesh. He also used to be the greatest hitman the Mercenary Syndicate had ever seen. But after his programming failed, Revenant realized that he was no longer human. Hammond Robotics and the Mercenary Syndicate turned him into a simulacrum, a robotic form imbued with his personality. They had been making him forget every time he “died” and was put into a new body.

Revenant swore to destroy everyone who did this to him but two decades have passed since then. He thought they were all gone, but Hammond Robotics has reemerged, giving Revenant new targets to enact revenge upon. He joined the Apex Games to continue his quest for revenge and doesn’t mind taking down a few Legends along the way.

Revenant is an attacker focused on disabling enemies’ abilities and rushing their position.

Passive Ability: Stalker

Revenant can crouch-walk faster and climb higher than all other Legends.

Tactical Ability: Silence

Revenant can throw a grenade that silences enemies, leaving them unable to use their abilities. The grenade leaves behind an area of effect that will silence any enemies that walk near it.

Ultimate Ability: Death Totem

Revenant can place a totem that protects Legends when they use it for a limited time or until the totem is destroyed. Legends who use the totem take health damage instead of shields and are returned to the totem when they run out of health. Legends returned to the totem will have 50% health if they had 50% health or higher when the totem was activated. Legends below 50% health when the totem was activated will be returned with the same amount of health, (a Legend with 30% health would return with 30% health, but a Legend with 80% health would return with 50%).

Seer

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Obi “Seer” Edolasim was cursed before he was even born. It was foretold that he would bring pain and suffering to the world, and the night he was born a meteor struck his world’s moon. The moment the community saw his pale blue eyes, they declared the child cursed and shunned him. Edolasim’s parents loved him unconditionally, seeing the empathic and creative child instead of the curse.

Edolasim began fighting in the arenas and the crowd was unsure of him at first. As his success in the arenas continued, members of the crowd that also felt like outsiders began to see themselves in Edolasim. Now, he has joined the Apex Games, as a Legend instead of a curse.

Seer is a recon Legend focused on finding and revealing enemy positions nearby.

Passive Ability: Heart Seeker

Seer can hear and see a visual representation of nearby enemies’ heartbeats when aiming down sights. The heartbeats are shown by a yellow indicator that points towards the heartbeats and creates a full circle when aiming directly at enemies. Seer can also use Survey Beacons to reveal the next circle’s location.

Tactical Ability: Focus of Attention

Seer fires off a cylinder blast of micro-drones that marks and interrupts enemies. The blast shows an indicator of where enemies are and shows their health bars to Seer and his teammates.

Ultimate Ability: Exhibit

Seer throws a drone, which creates a large sphere of micro-drones around it. Enemies within the sphere who move quickly or shoot are highlighted for Seer and his teammates. The sphere stays active for a limited time but can also be destroyed by shooting the drone in the center.

Valkyrie

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Kairi “Valkyrie” Imahara has always been brash and hard-headed. She even stole a Titan when she was a child. It was her father’s, callsign Viper. She wanted to be just like her father, but one day he left on a mission and never returned. For awhile, Imahara had her own ship, smuggling goods for money, while searching for the man who put her father in harm’s way: his captain, Kuben Blisk. She tracked Blisk, but he spoke about her father with nothing but respect and challenged Imahara to be better.

Imahara took this to heart, shooting him non-lethally and stealing his Apex Games invitation. Equipped with a jetpack made from her father’s Titan’s flight core, she joined the Apex Games to establish her own legacy.

Valkyrie is a recon Legend, focused on finding enemies from an elevated position.

Passive Ability: VTOL Jets

Valkyrie can use her jetpack to fly. It has limited fuel, which refills over time. Valkyrie cannot shoot while the jetpack is active. Valkyrie can also use Survey Beacons to reveal the next circle’s location.

Tactical Ability: Missile Swarm

Valkyrie can fire a barrage of missiles that damage and disorient enemies.

Ultimate Ability: Skyward Dive

Valkyrie can launch herself and her teammates into the air, allowing them to skydive back into the map. Nearby enemies are marked during the ultimate, giving Valkyrie and her teammates knowledge of enemy positioning.

Wattson

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Natalie “Wattson” Paquette might be one of the youngest competitors in the Apex Games, but she has been around the games the longest. The daughter of the Apex Games’ lead electrical engineer, Paquette studied her father’s manuals to become closer to him, finding her calling in the process. She became such a talented engineer that she was commissioned to build the Apex Games Modified Containment Ring. The day the ring was revealed, her father passed away, leaving Parquette alone. Her friends invited her to return to the Apex Games, assuring her she always has a home there.

Wattson is a defender, focused on protecting teammates from incoming attackers.

Passive Ability: Spark of Genius

Ultimate Accelerants fully charges Wattson’s ultimate ability. Wattson also gradually regenerates shields over time.

Tactical Ability: Perimeter Security

Wattson can place electrical nodes that create a fence of electricity when connected. Enemies take damage and slow down when moving through the electrical field.

Ultimate Ability: Interception Pylon

Wattson can place an electrified pylon that destroys incoming ordnance, like grenades and airstrikes. It also repairs the shields of anyone standing within range. The pylon can be destroyed by enemies or will break automatically after a set amount of time. Wattson can only have three pylons active at once.

Wraith

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Wraith used to be senior science pilot Renee Blasey. She once volunteered to be the guinea pig for her own experiments, who was betrayed and locked away by her partner. But the experiment that gave her the ability to phaseshift also took her memory. All that was left was a scared woman, imprisoned and haunted by the voices in her head. Eventually, another voice convinced her to listen to them, allowing her to escape that prison and reality.

Wraith joined the Apex Games to explore the old IMC bases that the games take place near. Wraith competes for a chance to find out more information about what happened to her.

Wraith is an attacker focused on being able to quickly and safely escape firefights.

Passive Ability: Voice from the Void

Wraith is alerted when someone is aiming at her. Wraith is prompted to make a call out to her teammates when this occurs.

Tactical Ability: Into the Void

Wraith can shift into the void, allowing her to move through the world without taking damage. Wraith cannot see enemies while shifting and is only visible as a stream of light to other Legends.

Ultimate Ability: Dimensional Rift

Wraith can set up two portals that any Legend can travel between. Wraith begins the ability by placing one end and running to the location where she wants to place the other. Wraith cannot shoot while setting up the portals.

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Metal Gear Solid 5 Servers Are Being Taken Offline On PS3 and Xbox 360

Konami is phasing out online support for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and Metal Gear Online on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 beginning today.

A post on Konami’s website says that Metal Gear Solid V’s purchase system on PS3 and 360 are shutting down. All DLC for Metal Gear Online will no longer be available for purchase beginning on November 30.

The full shutdown of online play won’t happen until May 31, 2022. Konami does confirm, of course, that the main game will still be playable offline on the impacted systems.

Metal Gear Solid V includes two multiplayer modes. One is Metal Gear Online, a PvP mode that supports up to 16 players hunting each other down with the game’s stealth and espionage mechanics across three game modes. The other is an online version of the game’s base-building feature, which can be used to get items and money for the main game.

The Phantom Pain released back in 2015. At the time, IGN called it a masterpiece in our Metal Gear Solid 5 review, saying, “The Phantom Pain doesn’t just respect my intelligence as a player, it expects it of me, putting it in a league that few others occupy.”

The Phantom Pain was the last game Hideo Kojima worked on with Konami before parting ways with the company. The Director’s Cut of his latest game, Death Stranding, is due out on PlayStation 5 this year. The legendary creator is also writing a book about his creative process.

As for other players still making use of their PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the PS3 and 360 are losing GTA Online on December 16 of this year. This lines up closely with GTA V’s launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Some Twitch Streamers Are Boycotting On Wednesday Over Twitch Hate Raids

A number of Twitch channels will go dark on Wednesday, September 1, as a form of protest against the platform. This comes after many streamers claimed Twitch has not taken sufficient action against hate raids, which have plagued marginalized streamers for the last several weeks.

As reported by The Verge, the #ADayOffTwitch blackout was planned by ShineyPen, Lucia Everblack, and RekItRaven as a follow-up to the Twitter campaign, #TwitchDoBetter. The Twitter campaign was led by RekItRaven as a way to pressure Twitch into providing better tools and protections for streamers on its platform. The issue first came up a few weeks ago when “hate raids” began happening regularly, where a flood of bots would come into a streamer’s chat, all spamming the same racist or bigoted comments.

While Twitch did release a statement on Twitter about the #TwitchDoBetter campaign, however, it did not provide any specifics about what it was doing. It released a second statement a week and a half later to address the fact that it did not take any action against hate raids. However, all it said was that it’s working on it and does not what to let the people organizing these raids know its plans.

The #ADayOffTwitch blackout was organized as an attempt to force Twitch to take immediate action to protect streamers against hateful actions.

“A Day Off [Twitch] is largely about coming together in solidarity. The one day off is a step in the many steps we have to take towards change,” ShineyPen told The Verge.

RekItRaven also said that the blackout was more about smaller streamers banding together than actively hurting Twitch’s profits. The response among the community has been varied, with some streamers feeling like the blackout is pointless and others unable to take time off due to contractual obligations.

Some larger streamers have had negative reactions to the movement. Asmongold, a large World of Warcraft streamer who recently transitioned to Final Fantasy XIV, said on a stream, “Nobody gives a f*** if you take the day off. Nobody knows who you are.”

Asmongold went on to say that he believes in the power of numbers and would participate if a big streamer got involved, despite being a large streamer himself, having 2.4 million followers on Twitch.

A representative for Twitch told The Verge that they are aware of the blackout and are supportive of the content creators participating. According to Lucia Everblack, the discussion around #ADayOffTwitch shows that it has already been successful in shaping the conversation and pushing Twitch to make significant changes.

“We don’t just want solutions to current problems,” Everblack told The Verge. “We want policies in place so that these kinds of problems never happen again or at least never get this severe.”

Best Forza Games: Ranking All 13 Games

Next to Halo and Minecraft, Forza is arguably one of Microsoft’s most famous and recognizable franchises. The series debuted in 2005 with the original Forza Motorsport, and the racing series has released more than a dozen titles since then. With Forza Horizon 5 debuting in November, we’re looking back at the Forza series and ranking the entries in the main series, along with the Horizon sub-brand that debuted in 2012. We also included some other entries, like the mobile game Forza Street.

For more on Forza Horizon 5, check out all of GameSpot’s previous Forza Horizon 5 coverage and our preorder guide to find out how to secure a copy of the game ahead of launch. You can also check out GameSpot’s list of the best Xbox RPGs and the best Xbox One games of all time.

13. Forza Street

Forza Street has a very different vibe than the rest of the series
Forza Street has a very different vibe than the rest of the series

A free-to-play spinoff, Forza Street was released in 2019 from developer Electric Square. As the franchise’s first game developed specifically for mobile, it features a very distinct and unique setup from the rest of the main series, focusing more on fast-paced races. In a big shakeup from the main series, the cars automatically drive themselves, with players only responsible for braking and accelerating–the game takes control of the steering. Forza Street is also available on PC, but it doesn’t exactly compare to the rest of the series when it comes to presentation, gameplay, features, and support.


12. Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious

A partnership between Microsoft and Universal for Fast & Furious felt inevitable, and it finally happened in 2015 when Forza and Fast & Furious crossed over for a standalone expansion themed around the Vin Diesel movie series. The standalone racing game features about a dozen cars from the Fast & Furious franchises, including some that debuted in Furious 7, which was the latest entry at the time. The game also featured familiar characters like Tej Parker, with Ludacris returning to voice the expert mechanic. As for the gameplay, it involves taking part in over-the-top race challenges set in France, just like the movie.

Something about family
Something about family

A partnership between Microsoft and Universal for Fast & Furious felt inevitable, and it finally happened in 2015 when Forza and Fast & Furious crossed over for a standalone expansion themed around the Vin Diesel movie series. The standalone racing game features about a dozen cars from the Fast & Furious franchises, including some that debuted in Furious 7, which was the latest entry at the time. The game also featured familiar characters like Tej Parker, with Ludacris returning to voice the expert mechanic. As for the gameplay, it involves taking part in over-the-top race challenges set in France, just like the movie.


11. Forza Motorsport 2

One of the 300+ cars in Forza Motorsport 2

Three years after the original Forza Motorsport, Microsoft launched Forza Motorsport 2 in 2008 to great success and acclaim. Featuring more than 300 cars from 50 major manufacturers and a dozen tracks, Forza Motorsport 2 offers many different ways to play to suit your style and its assists were a welcome addition for players just learning the ropes. The game was praised for its innovations at the time like menus that told you where your car is damaged and the temperature of the tires, to simulate the real driving experience. At the time, we said in our review that Forza Motorsport 2 reaches the “precise brand of evolution you’d want from a sequel to the original Forza,” featuring a better driving model and an overall offering so deep that you could spend countless hours zooming around the tracks.

See our Forza Motorsport 2 review.


10. Forza Motorsport 3

2009's Forza Motorsport 3 was a visual spectacle at the time

Released back in 2009, Forza Motorsport 3 was celebrated for being a step up from its predecessor in almost every way. Among its many new features and elements was a Rewind button that allows players to skip back in time after they crash or make a wrong move. The racing game was also praised for its online modes, which delivered new ways to play both with friends in a private match and against the community at large. There were new Drag and Drift events, along with team-based Cat and Mouse tournaments that afforded new ways to play. Here at GameSpot, we also enjoyed the game’s excellent soundtrack, featuring songs from artists like Alkaline Trio, Fall From Grace, and The Fratellis, among others.

See our Forza Motorsport 3 review.


9. Forza Motorsport 4

Forza Motorsport 4 raced onto Xbox 360 in 2011

2011’s Forza Motorsport 4 is perhaps best remembered for releasing around the time that Microsoft was pushing its camera-based Kinect technology. The camera could track players’ heads so they could look around, or it could actually control the car. Microsoft would go on to discontinue Kinect, but Forza Motorsport 4 showcased how such a setup could have worked, even if it didn’t offer the type of precise controls fans have come to expect from the series. Outside of the Kinect integration, Forza Motorsport 4 changed things up with its World Tour mode and made changes to how players unlock cars. And once again, the game was praised for its ability to cater to players of all different types of skill levels.

See our Forza Motorsport 4 review.


8. Forza Motorsport

2005's Forza Motorsport was the game that started it all

The very first Forza Motorsport game was released in 2005, meaning the franchise is celebrating its 16th anniversary this year. The game introduced Xbox fans to the simulation-style racing series that would go on to spawn numerous sequels and spinoffs. The original game was generally praised by critics. Here at GameSpot, we scored it a 9.2, with praise directed towards the game’s ability to mesh advanced sim elements into a package that was generally approachable to newcomers. It’s a design philosophy that has carried forward throughout the years across its numerous installments. The game certainly looks dated by today’s standards, but it proved to be a big success that became one of Microsoft’s most celebrated franchises overall.

See our Forza Motorsport review.


7. Forza Horizon

2012's Forza Horizon kicked off the spinoff series

The fifth installment in the Forza series, Forza Horizon was released for Xbox 360 in 2012 as the first spinoff of the racing franchise. Microsoft tapped Playground Games to develop the game, and the company would go on to acquire the UK outfit in 2018 after the sub-brand exploded in popularity. The big change from the main Forza Motorsport series is that Horizon is focused on non-track races and off-road competition in a big open world. The game is set in Colorado and sees players taking part in various races and competitions to make their way to the Horizon festival, which is where the game gets its name. It would go on to spawn multiple sequels and help elevate and differentiate the Forza series overall.

See our Forza Horizon review.


6. Forza Motorsport 5

Supercars are all the rage in Forza Motorsport 5

Supercars are all the rage in Forza Motorsport 5

2013’s Forza Motorsport 5 from series developer Turn 10 was the first entry released on the new-at-the-time Xbox One console. It was actually a launch title for the Xbox One, and Microsoft went all-out, recruiting Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond for voice roles in the game’s campaign. The game boasted gorgeous graphics (for the time) showing off what the Xbox One was capable of. The racing game also pushed the franchise forward with a clever use of the Xbox One triggers to provide haptic feedback about traction and stability, while the game was known to be welcoming enough for newcomers with its collection of assist features. “This is a game built on the romantic thrill of motorsport in all its forms, and that love for its subject matter is all but impossible to resist,” GameSpot’s Forza Motorsport 5 review said at the time.

See our Forza Motorsport 5 review.


5. Forza Horizon 2

The open road, or field, awaits

2014’s Forza Horizon 2 was the second entry in the spinoff series, also developed by Playground Games and released as the first entry in the offshoot series on Xbox One. Set in picturesque locations across France and Italy, Forza Horizon 2 took some of the action off-road with races across fields and dirt, giving players a new type of driving experience. Similar in structure to the first game, Forza Horizon 2 has players taking part in various events across a campaign that unlocks more and more cars and settings as the game progresses. The game also welcomed a Fast & Furious crossover expansion, and we’ll talk more about that as its own entry later.

See our Forza Horizon 2 review.


4. Forza Motorsport 6

Vrooooom

2015’s Forza Motorsport 6, featuring the new Ford GT on the cover, introduced a seemingly small but important element to the series: wet weather. Not only did the rain make for some unique artistic flair in the overall look of the game, but wet weather changed driving conditions and this made an impact on how the game played and what you needed to do and know to succeed on the track during a downpour. Night races were added to Forza Motorsport 6 as well, again mixing things up with the way the game looks and handled after the sun goes down. The game’s initial launch was followed up with a standalone free-to-play game called Forza Motorsport 6: Apex, which brought the series to PC with a different, experimental business model prior to Microsoft’s more inclusive releases.

See our Forza Motorsport 6 review.


3. Forza Motorsport 7

Forza Motorsport 7 is another verrrrry good-looking Forza game

The Forza Motorsport series continued in 2017 with Forza Motorsport 7 on Xbox One, at the time boasting to be the “most comprehensive, beautiful, and authentic racing game ever made.” The game was indeed a nice visual step up, boasting a 4K/60fps experience. The game added new environmental and weather effects, and the rain in particular glistened in stunning detail. There were an overwhelming 700+ cars in the game and 30 famous real-world tracks to race on. Similar to past games in the series, Forza Motorsport 7 was also praised for its feature-set that offered enough for seasoned fans to enjoy and was approachable enough for newcomers. It was also praised for its great diversity of driving experiences, letting people have the type of driving experience they want.

See our Forza Motorsport 7 review.


2. Forza Horizon 3

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Forza Horizon 3 iterated and improved upon the first two releases in a number of ways. Released in 2016 and set in the sprawling and gorgeous environments of Australia, Forza Horizon 3 introduced stunning skyboxes that were based on real photographs and video, so when you looked up to the sky, it was actually the real Australian sky and clouds. Forza Horizon 3 has more than 350 cars and is set on what was the biggest Forza Horizon map at the time. The game featured new ways to race and drive, and in traditional Horizon fashion, there were special “showcase” events featuring races against speed boats and airships. Another notable aspect of Forza Horizon 3 was its online co-op that allowed up to four people to play cooperative or competitively at the same time.

See our Forza Horizon 3 review.


1. Forza Horizon 4

Forza Horizon 4 is set in the idyllic British countryside

Released in 2018, Forza Horizon 4 was seemingly a special one for developer Playground Games, being a “home” game of sort with its setting in Great Britain. In addition to its stunning environments and sweeping landscapes, Forza Horizon 4 is known for introducing changing seasons to the franchise, letting fans experience winter, spring, summer, and fall, complete with gameplay-relevant changes to the environment.. The game also featured more of an online focus, with dozens of players on a single server together. After launch, the game welcomed numerous expansion packs, including those themed around Hot Wheels and James Bond. The game also leaned into the battle royale trend with its Eliminator mode.

See our Forza Horizon 4 review.

South Korea Passes Law With Potentially Big Implications For Epic Games v. Apple

South Korea’s National Assembly passed a bill today challenging Apple and Google’s current app store policies, with implications potentially impacting both companies on a global scale.

As spotted first by The Wall Street Journal, the law is an amendment to South Korea’s Telecommunications Business Act. The new piece of legislation prevents major platforms like Apple and Google from banning app developers from using built-in payment systems, meaning app developers have the freedom to use their own payment systems.

The new law also forbids store owners from reprimanding developers that use alternative payment systems than the ones available on their app storefront. Failure to comply with the new law will result in fines of up to 3% of a mobile app store owner’s revenue in the country.

While this legislation only impacts South Korea, the legislation could have a massive impact on the tech giants across the globe. Both tech giants have been subject to criticism for their app store policies, with countries looking to crack down on both. Earlier this month, the US Senate introduced the Open App Markets Act, which would also developers to use their own payment systems if passed and sign into law.

Apple and Google have also been subjected to various lawsuits here in the United States. Last year, Fortnite developer Epic Games filed a lawsuit that challenged the app store policies. The case Epic Games v. Apple was argued last May, with a federal judge currently reviewing the case with a ruling anticipated to come before the end of the year.

Recently, Apple settled a completely different class-action lawsuit with US app developers, but the trade-offs have been minimal on Apple’s end and is pending approval from the court. At the same time, Google is currently being sued by 36 states plus the District of Columbia for its app store model.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Best Xbox Exclusive Games: 20 Picks For Xbox One And Xbox Series X|S

Xbox has had some excellent console exclusives over the past few years, a number that’s likely going to grow during the Xbox Series X|S’s lifecycle given Microsoft’s string of studio acquisitions. But that’s the future–we don’t know for sure what will and what won’t be dope. All we can do is look at what’s currently out, and decide which games are our favorites.

Our top 20 Xbox console exclusives are detailed below. We’ve listed them in alphabetical order. For the purposes of this list, we’ve only included one game from each franchise so that no one franchise can dominate the list. We’ll be sure to come back and update this list as new Xbox games launch or if one of the exclusives listed below also releases for additional console platforms.

For more Xbox game suggestions, check out our roundups of the best Xbox Series X games to play right now and best Xbox One games. If you’re a Game Pass subscriber, you can also take a peek at our list of the best Game Pass games available now.

Halo: MCC Is Getting Armor Sets Inspired By Ancient History

Armor sets inspired by warriors of ages past are coming to Halo 3 and Halo: Reach in Halo: The Master Chief Collection’s next season, and they are unlike anything ever before seen in Halo.

Revealed in a new Canon Fodder blog post on Halo Waypoint, the new sets draw inspiration from the armor worn by the Spartan warriors of ancient Greece, the knights of medieval Europe, and the Viking warriors of Scandinavia. The sets will be available as part of Halo: MCC Season 8, titled Mythic, along with new nameplates and weapon and vehicle skins.

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Gallery

Halo publishing team art director Horia Dociu dove into some of the thinking that went into the new skins in the blog post, saying the new season served as a cool way to bring themes present throughout the Halo series to life in a visual way.

“Mjolnir and a few other mythological Norse names in our canon inspired an Asgard warrior concept, which came along with the horned helmets and all the other Viking associations history and pop culture have highlighted,” Dociu says. “While monikers like Wraith, Banshee, and Ghost felt like a stoic, dark-gothic lens through which to approach a classical knight armor take on our Spartans. Halo is all about the mythical warriors of the future, so what better way to reinforce the fantasy than to imbue the armors with the legendary visuals that have echoed for centuries in our own history of legendary warriors?”

The sets are similar in spirit to the “Fractures” that will be seen in Halo Infinite, which are non-canon skins with more unconventional themes, like the Yoroi Samurai Spartan armor that has been seen in various images and screenshots promoting the game. That’s something future issues of Canon Fodder will dive into “further down the road.”

Halo franchise and narrative writer Jeff Easterling writes in the blog post he personally loves it when a franchise can be viewed through a new lens, as will be the case for MCC’s new season.

“Whether it’s a samurai take on Star Wars or a steampunk take on Batman, seeing familiar elements given a wild and far-out twist can simultaneously give you a fun new thing to enjoy while also helping you appreciate the core reasons of why you love the original thing in the first place,” Easterling writes.

Easterling teases that these new armor sets will also set the stage “for more fun experimental themes to come in the future in this and other venues.”

Halo: MCC’s next season will also see the addition of a new Halo 3 map in the form of Icebox, a reimagining of the Halo 2 map Turf.

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Dead Space Remake First-Look Livestream Showcases Beefy Isaac In Updated Amor

EA Motive Studios held a Dead Space remake developer livestream on August 31 that showcased some in-progress gameplay, including a look at what appeared to be a muscular Isaac Clarke in a set of updated armor.

The one-hour presentation went over several features of the Dead Space remake. Motive Studios illustrated the enhanced lighting and smoke effects that look to bolster the game’s claustrophobic atmosphere, and it also highlighted tidbits of the new dismemberment system which lets you peel off the flesh of your enemies for even more gruesome Necromorph kills.

Peppered throughout the livestream were glimpses of Isaac and his updated armor. The game is dark, so it’s hard to get a discerning look, but it appears as if Isaac’s armor is glossier or shinier. It’s also more detailed, with the backpack and shoulder pads looking more industrial than the 2008 original.

Isaac, my boy, have you been working out?
Isaac, my boy, have you been working out?

And curiously, it seems Isaac has been hitting the gym, as his shoulders and biceps/triceps look noticeably larger than in the original Dead Space game.

We’ve reached out to EA for comment and will update if we hear back.

Motive Studios also revealed that Isaac will be voiced in the remake. Gunner Wright, who played Isaac in Dead Space 2 and 3, will return to voice the character. However, he won’t be a motormouth; Issac talks under certain situations.

The Dead Space remake is rumored to launch by the end of 2022 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

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Best Halo Games: Ranking The Mainline Series Ahead Of Halo Infinite

Microsoft’s biggest franchise is Halo, a series created by Bungie and now developed internally at 343 Industries. The sci-fi series primarily about an ongoing battle between humanity and the alien Covenant has a long and storied past, and the franchise has seen numerous popular and beloved entries over the years.

With Halo Infinite set for release in December, we’re looking back at the Halo series overall and ranking the mainline FPS franchise. This list covers only the main FPS games, not offshoots like Spartan Strike or the arcade game Fireteam Raven. We’re also not including the Halo Wars series, though it’s great for those who want more story context on Infinite. And while Halo: The Master Chief Collection is absolutely the best way to play Halo in 2021, it’s also not featured on this list because it is a compilation package instead of one game. You can also sign up for Game Pass Ultimate to play every mainline Halo game as well as numerous spin-offs.

7. Halo 5: Guardians

2015's Halo 5 is the latest entry in the main series
2015’s Halo 5 is the latest entry in the main series

The latest Halo mainline game is Halo 5: Guardians, which was released in 2015 for Xbox One. Ahead of the game’s release, Microsoft kicked off an elaborate marketing campaign in which fans were led to believe that Master Chief might in fact be the bad guy. In the story, Chief is being hunted by a new Spartan named Agent Jameson Locke, and the campaign actually shifts away from Chief and lets you play as Locke in the majority of the missions. However, many felt the marketing overhyped the storyline, which did not pay off in the way that some fans might have wanted. Still, the campaign was an enthralling one, with its story weaving many threads and taking players to new places. The campaign levels were designed to be more open-ended, as well, with players more free to choose their own paths through the environment. Unfortunately, Halo 5 did not support split-screen, with Microsoft citing data that most people simply don’t play that way. That said, the feedback came swiftly, and although Halo 5 never added split-screen, this did prompt the studio to promise that future Halo games–like Halo Infinite–will indeed support split-screen.

For multiplayer, the big new addition to the mix was Warzone, a large-scale MOBA-style mode that mixed PvE and PvP. The mode was generally well-received, though some portion of the audience complained about its use of Req packs, which let players spend real money to unlock items in the mode. Another innovation for Halo 5 multiplayer was its clambering system, which allows players to move more freely through maps by vaulting over ledges and climbing walls. It introduces a new level of speed and verticality to Halo, and it’s something that is being brought forward with Halo Infinite.

See our Halo 5 review

6. Halo 3: ODST

ODST began as a small project and scaled up to a full game
ODST began as a small project and scaled up to a full game

2009’s Halo 3: ODST was originally conceived as a type of bridge game between Halo 3 and Halo Reach, but it turned into a full product that remains a favorite for many Halo fans. The story follows members of the Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (ODST) group, who are voiced in the game by Nolan North, Alan Tudyk, Nathan Fillion, Tricia Helfer, and Adam Baldwin. You play as the Rookie, and after a landing gone wrong, it’s up to you to piece together the clues about what happened as you attempt to reunite with your squadmates in New Mombasa. In a big shift for the series, your character is not some cybernetically enhanced supersoldier but instead a regular ran-and-file fighter–albeit an elite-level one–thus necessitating a more strategic style of play. Halo 3: ODST is also known for its film noir-like visual qualities and darker color palettes overall.

On the multiplayer side, Halo 3: ODST’s big and memorable innovation was the Firefight mode. In his Horde-style mode, Spartans fight to stay alive for as long as possible as waves of increasingly difficult enemies. Players can use Skulls to make the experience more difficult and/or unique, and the mode supports couch co-op and online multiplayer.

With Halo 3: ODST, what began as a small-scale project became a bonafide game that is visually and tonally distinct from the rest of the series, and one that is if nothing else, memorable.

See our Halo 3: ODST review

5. Halo: Reach

Halo: Reach takes to the skies

One of the more fan-favorite Halo games to date is the last one that Bungie made before leaving Halo behind, 2010’s Halo: Reach is a prequel to the original Halo game. It puts players in the boots not of Master Chief but of Noble Six, an anonymous member of the Noble Team. This is part of what made Reach so exciting, refreshing, and memorable. The story, too, struck a more somber tone. Anyone who read the original Halo novel, Halo: The Fall of Reach, knew how it would end, but. it’s a big shift away from the “Chief saves the day” approach to the other games, and its story felt more personal. Also on the campaign side, Reach introduced space dogfights, a new and exciting mechanic that literally elevated the action from previous games in the franchise. The multiplayer in Halo: Reach was as good as ever, and it mixed things up with a brand-new mode called Invasion where one team of Elites tries to break into a Spartan stronghold. Halo: Reach isn’t the best Halo game, but it’s consistently one of the games that people point to as a signature moment for the series when it comes to its unique story and that it was the final game made by Bungie.

See our Halo: Reach review

4. Halo 4

With Halo 4, development shifted to Microsoft's 343 Industries

Halo 4 marked a major shift for the Halo series, as it was thefirst entry in the main series developed by 343 Industries after it assumed control of the franchise, with Bungie going off to make Destiny. A lot of pressure was put on 343 to deliver something exciting and put its own stamp on the franchise beloved by so many, but the game did not succeed in every category. While the story mode was generally well-received for its engrossing narrative involving the new Prometheans, the multiplayer mode–seen by many to be the bread and butter of the franchise–wasn’t as successful. It was criticized in some circles for borrowing mechanics from other popular shooters–with loadouts and (gasp) sprinting–instead of carving out its own path. Still, Halo 4 was an enormous commercial success and helped show that 343 wasn’t simply mimicking Bungie.

See our Halo 4 review

3. Halo 3

Halo 3 remains a fan-favorite for many

Halo 3 was released in September 2007 after a memorable marketing campaign that asked fans to “Believe.” Fans actually got their first crack at Halo 3 through… Crackdown. Yes, Microsoft included beta access to Halo 3 with its new IP, Crackdown. The game officially released in September 2007 to great success, bringing in $170 million in revenue on its first day and $300 million over its first week. It went on to become one of the best-selling games of 2007, which was a notable achievement given other marquee games like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Rock Band released that year as well. Reviewers generally enjoyed Halo 3, with many praising its Forge system that would go on to become one of the franchise’s most defining elements. In Forge, players can create their own maps and modes, extending the lifecycle and appeal of the game, and this type of user-generated content was ahead of its time. Burnie Burns of Rooster Teeth used Forge to create the fan-favorite Grifball mode, for example, which would go on to be an official mode in subsequent Halo games.

See our Halo 3 review

2. Halo 2

Halo 2 pushed the series forward on Xbox Live

Bungie followed up Combat Evolved with Halo 2 in 2004, and it was another major success. One of the most defining elements of Halo 2 was its online multiplayer through Xbox Live, which was a brand-new service at the time. While the game made strides in the area of multiplayer and introduced fans with a new way to play and test their skills against the world, the campaign mode remains a sore spot for many. Due to various issues, including time constraints, Bungie was unable to fulfill its complete vision. And with a deadline approaching, the team decided to end things on a cliffhanger, setting up the forthcoming Halo 3 a few years later–though that did lead to a very memorable final quote. Halo 2 is also notable because it was the last game to come to PC natively, with the franchise moving toward a console-only release strategy for many years into the future (but not forever; more on that later). The game also introduced dual-wielding of weapons to the Halo universe, which have since come and gone over the years.

See our Halo 2 review

1. Halo: Combat Evolved

Where it all began

The game that started it all. Halo: Combat Evolved was released in November 2001 as a launch title for the original Xbox. While FPS games on console are now popular, this was not always the case, and Bungie’s Halo was a trailblazer. Microsoft is reported to have lost billions of dollars on the OG Xbox, but Halo was a standout, breakthrough title that would go on to become one of the most recognizable and iconic in all of gaming. Halo: Combat Evolved is in the Gaming Hall of Fame, as it should be, and in addition to having a memorable campaign that introduced the world to Master Chief, Halo: Combat Evolved featured split-screen multiplayer. This was before the launch of Xbox Live, so playing together meant physically being together, and many still fondly remember those times, including us.

See our Halo: Combat Evolved review

Fortnite: Where To Open Mission Kit And Place Jammer

In Fortnite Season 7, Week 13, you’ll need to open a mission kit, then place a jammer outside IO base in a single match. This quest will go live in-game on Wednesday, September 1 at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET. As the details stipulate, you’ll have to redo both parts of the quest if you fail to complete them in the same round, but don’t worry. With this guide, it’ll be easy to earn your XP fast. Here’s where to find the mission kit and jammer in Fortnite.

Fortnite Mission Kit And Jammer Locations

Both the mission kit and jammer can be found at Corny Complex in this week’s challenge. You’ll notice a lot of activity in that region these days because it’s where Doctor Slone will make her final stand against the alien threat. Placing the jammer is one of the latest steps in her grand scheme following last week’s activation of the mysterious countermeasure device.

When you drop into Corny Complex, you’ll find the mission kit just northwest of the biggest red barn in the area–it’s the one next to the lone silver grain silo. Interact with it, then quickly hurry over to the main residence in Corny Complex. Right next to the house’s western exterior wall is the jammer prompt. Use that one to finish the quest and score an easy 45,000 XP.

Just remember, you must not only do it in the same match, but also in that specific order. In the map below, we’ve labeled the mission kit with the blue icon, and the jammer with the red icon.

Visit the blue icon first, then the red icon.
Visit the blue icon first, then the red icon.

This will kick off the penultimate week of Season 7 Legendary Quests, as the season looks primed to end after Week 14 around September 12, according to in-game details. Can Slone prevail over the aliens? Does everybody even want her to? What happened to Farmer Steel? There are many lingering questions, and soon we may just get some answers.

In the meantime, keep ticking away at this week’s Week 13 challenges, and don’t miss the 17.50 patch notes either. Then prepare yourself with all we know so far about Fortnite Season 8.

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