For me, Apex Legends is a battle royale game that I return to periodically to check out new heroes and reacquaint myself with its goodness. However, after taking a closer look at the Legacy update, which adds a new Legendary "Valkyrie" and a 3vs3 "Arena" mode, this could be the season that gets me hooked.

Legacy won't be available until Tuesday, May 4, but detailed patch notes accompanying the update are available now, and Respawn has tweaked everything under the sun, from weapons, starter loot, hero abilities, loot pools, and circles. It's definitely a massive patch that will change free-to-play battle royale games forever.

We've listed the biggest highlights worth noting below. Click here to read the full patch notes.

We were hoping that Respawn's Titan-related preview meant that the next Legendary would be jumping into the cockpit of a giant robot, but Valkyrie's jetpack is pretty cool too. While she can't shoot while soaring through the air, her mobility combined with her missile barrage tactics allows her to do a lot of damage in a rectangular area. Her Ultimate becomes especially useful as the match progresses, allowing both her and her teammates to fly high in the air and quickly reposition themselves.

See the video above that breaks down Arena Mode.

That's right, Apex is no longer a dedicated battle royale game; Arenas is a 3vs3 round-based elimination mode, like Call of Duty's Gunfight mode and like CS:GO's Weapon Economy.

Arenas launches with five maps, two original to the mode and three based on areas of the Battle Royale map:

Pronounced "bow-check," Apex's newest weapon is the first bow. It comes with its own rare ammunition (arrows), which can be retrieved when pierced by objects or looted from fallen enemies. It is a powerful precision weapon, but requires disciplined aim to be effective.

Gone are the days of landing on a map and immediately scrambling for helmets, armor, and recovery items. Now everything starts automatically, but you have to find the gun yourself. C'mon, Respawn, you don't even have a pistol" I thought Call of Duty: Warzone had solved this problem.

A total of eight Legends receive significant updates in Legacy, including Octane, Crypto, Bloodhound, Loba, Fuse, and Bangalore. The full list can be found in the official patch notes, but the biggest changes are a rework of Lifeline and a significant nerf to Horizon's popular tactic of Gravity Rift.

Lifeline rework

Horizon nerf

There are a few other fun little things. Each character has a basic emote that mimics the introductory action that is usually displayed when selected at the start of a match, but Respawn will soon be offering a premium option.

If you're wondering how these radical changes actually feel, our resident Apex-pert, Emma, got to experience the Legacy update last week (spoiler: she really likes Arenas mode).