[Update #2]: The Dark Depths update is bringing in a lush new Arena map and a bunch of free cosmetics on January 11, 2022.

[Update]: Apex Legends' newest animated short offers a closer look at Bangalore's bloody backstory.

After a whole bunch of teasers and previews, Apex Legends' Season 11 "Escape" has now finally arrived. Season 11 brings with it Titanfall 2's antagonist Ash as a brand new Legend, the highly versatile C.A.R. SMG that accepts both heavy and light ammo, a spider-infested tropical map by the name of Storm Point, as well as a whole bunch of cosmetics to collect.

What all of this looks like in actual gameplay, that you can find out through two of the recently posted trailers. The first one is all about Ash, while the second one offers a closer look at the Storm Point map. Have a peek:

Much like before, Season 11 has also brought with it a whole assortment of balance changes, item rotations and general improvements. There's far too many things to easily summarize, so if you're interested in all of the details I'd recommend checking out the full patch notes over at the Apex website.

As far as early impressions are concerned, so far I have to say I'm impressed. Not only have the servers managed to handle the load of a new map release without too much stuttering, but the new Legend Ash seems like she's fairly well balanced from the outset. So as long as nothing goes horribly wrong in the next few weeks, this might just be Apex Legends' smoothest season launch so far.

Once the next big update goes live, most likely with some tweaks to the C.A.R. SMG, I'll make sure to let you know. Until then, have fun with Ash!