The original Kings Canyon map of Apex Legends has temporarily returned to the popular battle royale shooter, which is a kick of nostalgia for players who have been around since the game launched in February last year.
Respawn revealed that it was bringing back Kings Canyon through Twitter, and the response was met with excitement among the Apex Legends community.
We're going back to where it all started. 😎
Starting tomorrow through Feb 24, in addition to World's Edge, Season 1 Kings Canyon will also be available to play. pic.twitter.com/OLDCegRrPX
— Apex Legends (@PlayApex) February 20, 2020
Kings Canyon is available in a separate playlist, similar to previous limited time events. This will be the third time that Respawn will make Kings Canyon available alongside the map that replaced it, World’s Edge, following the Fight or Fright event for Halloween and the Grand Soiree Arcade. However, Kings Canyon in both instances were not the original ones, as the maps were set at night, and in the case of Fight or Fright, teeming with the game’s version of zombies.
The version of Kings Canyon that is now available in Apex Legends is the one from Wild Frontier, the battle royale shooter’s first season. In the second season, Battle Charge, the map was invaded by leviathans and flyers, causing destruction that changed the landscape.
Apex Legends then introduced World’s Edge, the current map, in the third season. Compared with Kings Canyon, World’s Edge features much more varied areas with components such as a moving train, flowing lava, iced surfaces, and a water fountain that shoots players into the air. With the start of the game’s fourth season, the map saw some changes, in addition to the arrival of the robotic assassin Revenant to the roster.
Kings Canyon will only be available until February 24, so players who want to relive their first days with Apex Legends, or new players who joined in season three onward, will want to take advantage of the weekend to play as many matches as they can on the battle royale shooter’s original map.
Players are clamoring for the permanent addition of Kings Canyon as a map option in Apex Legends. However, it appears that Respawn is taking its time in addressing this particular request. As Polygon suggested, the short-lived availability of the original map in the game may be the developer’s way of testing that there will be no hiccups in the matchmaking process, as offering both Kings Canyon and World’s Edge will split the player base.