With Season 6 now live across all platforms, players are diving into the code of Apex Legends and uncovering plenty of secrets in the process.
The recent season finally brought the VOLT SMG and it looks like Respawn isn't stopping there - we could get a brand new weapon next season too.
A new Predator weapon has popped up for the first time after audio files were added.
Here's what we know about the new weapon.
New Predator Weapon
Today, new audio files were added for a number of new assets, both weapons and legends, including a weapon called 'Predator'.
Audio files were added for the new weapon, of which we know little about.
Photo via @shrugtal
While we know little about it in the Apex universe, we can draw from the Titanfall franchise. It's no secret that Apex Legends draws heavily from Titanfall, the franchise that Respawn Entertainment worked on before Apex.
In Titanfall, there was a weapon called the 'Predator Cannon'.
The Predator Cannon is a rotary cannon manufactured by Lastimosa Armory employed by the Titan Legion in Titanfall 2.
Before firing, it requires a short "spin-up" time before it fires. The weapon can be used both a short and long-range, with a considerable amount of zoom being applied when aiming down sights.
When using it in long-range mode, players will deplete their magazine twice as fast, since every shot consumes two bullets. This requires careful players to manage the use of long and short-range modes for maximum benefit.
Considering the above audio files, those listed with the terms "secondshot" could imply the above factor.
In Titanfall, the Power Shot can also be fired from the cannon, firing all eight barrels at once in a burst. Like the spread for long/ short range, the Power Shot will fire in a shotgun blast and fire more like a sniper in long-range mode.
The final tool in the arsenal of the Predator Cannon is the Smart Core - when activated, the smart core will auto-target enemy troops in a manner similar to the Smart Pistol but with a much faster lock on, and will provide bottomless magazine capability for the twelve seconds it is active.
The new "shelldrops" audio may suggest that it is a shotgun rather than a rifle or automatic weapon.
It is possible that the Predator is derived from the 'Avenger', a Gatling Gun weapon cut from the original Titanfall, potentially meaning that Predator is a placeholder name.
It's not a bad idea to change the weapon name, considering it could be confused with the rank 'Apex Predator'.
Dev Stream
Many viewers of the Season 6 dev stream spotted the new Predator rifle on the floor - so the weapon is definitely present in the game in some form.
Theories are being crafted that it is, in fact, the bow we saw a few weeks ago.