Apex Legends’ upcoming Gold Magazines will automatically reload a stowed weapon, but not immediately. There’s “a good delay” before the effect happens, according to lead game designer Daniel Klein.
Klein shared a little more insight on the upcoming accessory today. “There’s a good delay before a holstered weapon is reloaded, and if it turns out that delay isn’t long enough, we can always increase it,” he said.
Gold Magazines surfaced earlier today as another feature of the battle royale in season eight, but fans were understandably worried about the powerful new addition.
Klein also said Gold Magazines “shouldn’t be usable for cheating out of a reload” and that players should instead switch to another weapon, use it, and switch back to a full magazine—essentially saving one reload in the process. The balancing measures won’t make the magazine obsolete, though. The accessory is still “really powerful,” according to Klein.
Related: Apex’s season 8 will be called Mayhem, feature ‘obliterated Kings Canyon’ and 30-30 Repeater Rifle
Gold Magazines could work as Purple Magazines with an added power following Apex‘s established formula. Gold Evo Shields, for instance, protect as much as purple armor but have the Minor Heal perk. This means that the upcoming level four magazines will be dependent on ammo type—“I’ve definitely seen light/heavy/energy [gold magazines] in our playtests,” Klein said—and it might narrow down the accessory’s usage and presence.
While it’s too early to tell how the accessory will work in practice, a few combinations could make it particularly deadly. Equipping a Gold Magazine on a Devotion, for instance, could deny its lengthy reload animation after switching weapons.
Gold Magazines will join Apex when season eight, Mayhem, drops on Feb. 2.