Server tick rate

Client update rates are >= 60Hz, as officially stated by Jon Shiring, a former Respawn Engineer. This is since June 20th patch, which came after Battle(non)sense's last video regarding Apex Legends. Also, client batches are sent multiple times, to help when there is an upstream packet loss.

I'm not sure server tickrate is 20hz, it can be more, like 30-60hz, but it might get lowered through patches when new updates overload the servers or until serious issues get fixed. Also, Apex needs a lot of data transferred, which has the potential of exceeding bandwidth limitations if servers send big updates with a high frequency. It is mandatory to stay under certain limitations, especially on console.

Regarding the audio being crappy, I think quality was reduced to free up bandwidth and memory. I think they also reduced the updates for similar reasons. It's all a compromise.

Apex makes use of the hybrid cloud tech from Multiplay, which means dedicated gaming servers but also AWS and Google Cloud. The servers we connect to are only used for lobby services, the matches and training will always be on servers close to us, of course, depending on how many players there are available in the area, skills, etc..

I'd say the biggest network problem makers right now are the lag, ping fluctuation, lost packets. Unfortunately, none of these can be fixed by EA / Respawn.