Let’s talk about Weapons and Legend Meta (S28.1)
Hey Legends, It’s time to chat about the recent changes to Legends / Weapons from our Midseason Patch. Check out the full AMA here or dive straight into the questions below! Here’s our Weapons and Legends team members on deck: u/RSPN_Caseroos: Casey, Weapons Game Designer (Hemlok + other weapons) u/RSPN_Jello: John, Legends Game Designer (Gibraltar, Wraith, & Wattson) Q: Did you expect the Hemlok to be as strong and prevalent as it’s been since the change? Is the design to have elite weapons be arguably the strongest floor gun? Q: I'm quite happy with legend changes. But will the hemmy receive more nerfs? Even with the tiny nerf it had it still feels incredibly strong. Like I'm actively throwing if I don't use it. Also can we expect pathfinder to be more viable again soon? He is so fun to play but I never want to play him because he feels so weak Q: Will Wraith receive a Passive ability rework/buff? I believe it was hinted at a while ago, and I expected it to happen with her last set of buffs, but now she seems to be in a very good shape except for her very lacking passive ability. I'd love to at least see her passive perk be incorporated into her base kit. Q: Would it be possible to change a character’s class for a little while like one season a bit like elite weapons? Q: Weapons questions! For the Hemlock, is increasing base weapons recoil and making the silencer level up in rarity with the rest of your attachments something that is possible? All blue or all purple attachments gives you blue/purple silencer for better recoil control. Otherwise I’ve enjoyed the weapon and its alt fire for different ways to play. you guys have been doing a great job with making a lot of guns similar in power and viable. Any plans for LMGs without making them the must use gun? Q: Did you guys considered giving wraith her instant phase back? Do you guys like the current state that ash is in? Q: Why is every legend getting Conduit’s Passive? First it was Skirmishers then Crypto, now it’s Gibraltar. Will Conduit’s passive be reworked in the future? Q: Is the overall powercreep in movement set to continue? It feels like the current bandaid solution to an underperforming legend is giving them a movement ability, but I also understand that slowing players down is boring for them. Q: Do you guys have any plans for trying to keep future guns balanced upon launch? there seems to be a huge imbalance upon every launch, one new gun dominates meta for a split, then gets nerfed into the ground, do you have any future plans to try and fix this immediate domination of meta upon launch? Q: How come it seems like smgs are consistently strong and always receiving changes and attention when not competitive. But shotguns are kept weak except for brief periods of time. For example the peace keeper, in the past year it was out of the game for 2 seasons then super buffed for one split then immediately triple nerfed and is now the worst preforming gun in the game and the only balance pass it got was the disrupters. The same thing also happened with the eva 8 and mozambs but not to the same highs and lows. Q: Hey ya'll. No real questions from me, I just want to make sure my Hemlock eventually goes back to burst. I have 6000 kills with Hemlock alone, 4000 hours in the game. I use Hemlock every single game. I dont mind a change up, I just dont want to see this be changed permanently. 🤞🏻 Q: Are there any plans to nerf octane more than he already is? his pick rate has absolutely skyrocketed and the octane meta is getting a little old Q: Will Apex Legends ever get a flashbang grenade? Could a future legend use a flashbang like Bangalore does her smoke? Q: Will the breach charge be added to other weapons? It feels like the hemlock is a must have because of his useful the charge is (and because it's good). Breaking open doors and traps is too good to only be on one weapon. Maybe it could be on all assault rifles (having it on shotguns and smgs would be too strong imo) Q: Thanks for the balance efforts and recent transparency - really appreciated. I have 2 questions: We had similar situations in previous seasons where guns felt “necessary” (see: mozam meta, p20 meta, devo meta) and it quickly becomes stale; action was taken eventually to reel those guns in. How much data, therefore, is required before more action is taken to bring a weapon into balance if it’s largely seen by the community to be overpowered/“necessary” to use to be competitive? The Hemlock-only meta is getting old fast, even with the most recent (albeit appreciated) nerfs. Will controller characters be buffed so that the reinforced mesh and doors take more than just one grenade blast with the Hemlock to break? Or will the Hemlock be nerfed to make it so the grenade launcher isn’t as strong? The controller buffs are almost useless when someone can one shot a window or door that’s reinforced. Thanks again for all your hard work and efforts. Q: In the designer notes post, you mentioned that making Gibraltar's hitbox smaller is not an option. Could elaborate further? His kit is very strong, always has been, but his hitbox always held him back. Q: Does the silencer on the Hemlock affect recoil in the same way as a barrel stabilizer does or is it just exist to explain the very low audio signature of the gun? Compared to other ARs especially that have no stabilizer equipped the Hemlock has much easier to control recoil. In a test at 75m with a 3x on one of the blue square targets, I was able to hit 100% of shots with the Nerfed Hemlock elite. My next best with an AR was 90% with the Nemesis. My thought is either the Hemlock has very forgiving recoil or the Silencer also acts as a stabilizer. Are silencers planned to be part of the ground loot in the future? Q: The Midseason update notes showed that Horizon has by far the highest win rate of any legend despite a low pick rate. What do you think is causing her win rate to be such an outlier? Q: What factor leads to complete weapon reworks like hemlok and re45? Q: Are there any thoughts on allowing the Re-45 to run light or energy similarly to the CAR? I miss my full auto side kick.Legend Meta - Dev AMA recap
Hey Legends! Our latest AMA covers various aspects related to Legend meta in Apex Legends. Check out the full AMA here or dive straight into the questions below! Here’s our team on deck: u/RSPN_Josh, Lead Game Designer u/RSPN_Berryhill, Game Designer Q: Are we going to see any changes to Octane soon? He is my favorite legend but there are so many better options at this point. Q: Octane - Why does he still take damage to move fast, when so many other legends have gained bursts of fast movement without damage. Do we really think it would break him to take away stim damage? Could he have a “fuel meter” instead ala Valk so stim isn’t spammable. Q: Why is Octane the only movement legend that has a drawback when using his main movement ability? Q: I main octane and I’m wondering if their will be any buffs to him soon I feel that his abilities need a little more love similar to the recent buffs like rampart, valk, horizon, bang, etc. Q: Can already see a lot of comments around octane needing a buff. Previously he’s gone under the radar because his pick rate stays high regardless (+10 respect to octane mains) -Are there already any plans for octane and if not already are those the sort of things that would be considered? Q: What is the reason to rework or balance some legends per season and other keeps untouched? Overtime some legends are forgotten and creates a meta with a few good legends but the other ones seems outdated and bad in game. - Why dont you balance all legends every season with at least minor changes to adapt at the patch overall? Q: I like the movement meta (speed bursts, blinks, dashes, jumps). But the movement is so high and easily accessible, combined with the low ttk, playing movement legends is now the only way to play. Unless another legend has a very powerful critical utility, like rezzing. It’s got to be clear that adding movement perks is increasingly leaving all other utility and the associated legends in the dust. <snip> The question is: where are we going? What is the long term plan with this? Q: Are there plans to nerf caustic. He’s been in the meta fairly regularly since the evo perk changes came in season 20. He’s way too strong at the moment, feels awful to fight and die to and the play style isn’t particularly engaging. Q: Are you guys satisfied with the state of Controller legends? Considering how handicapped they are in early game, I feel like they could use some love Especially catalyst lol Q: Considering that Caustic and Wattson haven't been nerfed significantly, in addition to legends like Valkyrie and Rampart that have received quite substantial buffs, is this a sign that moving forward legend abilities are intended to have a higher overall power level than previously? Q: Any plans to update Crypto to be more relevant to the meta? Idea of allow him to ultimate while the drone is on his body? (Suicide ultimate?) Q: Are there any legends you think could use a rework rather than buffs? Last rework was a year ago.Wildcard - Showdown AMA Recap
Hey Legends, Hopefully you’ve had a chance to jump into our latest mode: Wildcard. If you haven’t yet or would like a quick refresher, check out the full breakdown in our dev blog. We’ll be answering as many Wildcard questions as possible this Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at 10 am PT. As always, feedback is also welcome and we’ll be collecting everything to share with the team. Here’s our Wildcard team on deck: u/RSPN_Danja: Chris, Sr. Technical Game Designer u/RSPN_KDubz: Kevin, Sr. Technical Game Designer Hit the link here to check out the full AMA or dive into the questions below! Q:Do you have any plans to add more maps to Wildcard in the future? Q:Is it here to stay? I bloody love it and its the most fun I had in Apex for years. Q:Can you add the shadow ability from shadowfall gamemode as one of the wildcards in the upcoming wildcard ltm? Q:Do you envisaging getting to a position where Legends are balanced differently in Wildcard versus regular BR? E.g. Certain legends arguably benefit way more from spawning in with a refreshed Tactical - such as Fuse coming back with two charges of knuckle cluster, or Caustic and his traps. To be clear I'm not suggesting nerfing those people, but rather buffing up certain others, or maybe giving them an extra charge. Q:Love the game mode, I hope it’s here to stay permanently. I think this mode would massively benefit from been able to pick your loadout before the game starts. Is this something we could see in the future? And if not, why? Q:Any plans to let us choose what weapon is active when we land? Right now it defaults to 2, but would be nice to choose (or just let us switch while in the air). Cheers. Really enjoying the mode, and the heavy combat focus. Plus it makes solo queuing way more enjoyable. Q:What led to the decision of no KD shields? Feels like it was designed for you to just die if you get knocked down as you have no form of protection and people just finish you off before you can even pull a self revive off. Also without protection you can't try and get to a safe place to self revive. Since people die pretty much right away when they get downed it is near impossible to recall them using Alter's ult and the more you die the longer the timer to respawn is. I also haven't played as Newcastle but I imagine the lack of KD shield affects his revive. Q:Given that the goal these days is to balance Apex characters when they all have access to perks, how does Wildcard team intend to approach this in an environment without perks and with other missing elements? (e.g., no knockdown shields or knockdown shield upgrades for Newcastle). To be clear, I think the mode is awesome, but it is different and different means balancing will not cleanly port over. Q:Hi i wanted to say thanks for all your hard work for this wondorful gamemode its really good and i like it very much First of all do you think the gamemode itself needs a special balancing for legends only inside that gamemode and if you thought about and wanted to add it what would you do Second which old care package guns are in the game rn and can you add more to it and also additional items like epg and the knife third what are your plans for the future of the gamemode And Fourth can we expect another map added to wildcards and when and what would that be? Also the cc's talked about the wildcard ltm with items like wall running i wanted to ask could you add the shadow mode from shadowfight gamemode as a wildcard Q:Are you going to add shield batteries to the game mode? Also do you plan on adding legend upgrades to the game mode? Lastly, any plans on introducing new maps to the mode? Overall I love Wildcard as a mode and enjoy playing it. Q:Any plans to increase the number of teams* from 10 to 15? With current ring and timer I believe it shouldn’t be too much of a change. Would also be nice to have 50 kills/10k dmg badges 👍 Q:Since this is going to be a permanent mode, are there are legend balance plans for this mode specifically? Like right now most people just play Ash because it outshines everything while Loba for example has almost no useful utility in this mode. Q:Can we have more room for cells? Since it’s the main way you heal your shields. Q:Do you plan to build upon the chaotic aspect of the gamemode? Q:For the future seasons, Do you plan to make the legends balanced for unranked and ranked and leave more un-balanced perks, passives, etc. exclusive to Wildcard ? IMO, this would be a good oportunity to keep both try-hard and casual palyers in the game, seeing that there is a part of the try-hard players that misses the more gun focused gameplay Q:I really hope it’s permanent it’s very fun and I love how fast paced it is! Why is there a day count on the game mode selection screen? It’s Monday now if it currently says 7 days left. Does this mean a map change is coming or is the mode going away? Q: How many other Titanfall elements do you want to include besides wallrun? thanks, awesome mode! Q:Any plans on a duos version of wildcard as well? Q:Any plans on letting us choose our legend upgrades? Game mode is an amazing addition to the core game and congratulate you guys on making such a fun game mode. Any chance we can get a cosmetic AMA soon? I’d like to ask some questions about auras, tracker art, prestige skins, etc. Q:Why did my settings get reset. Took me years to fine tune it :( Q:Thoughts on giving us a self-revive on every single life? it would be a fun way to encourage more chaos and action with everybody having to move positions to secure their kill, right now it seems like self-revives run out a little too fast if your team is getting farmed Q:Will Wildcard work as a "Test Lab" for new mechanics and/or new features that could potentially be implemented on the main game? (i.e. Trios/Ranked) Q:Any plans to have a bit more experimental wildcards, like, idk, a titan wildcard or something like that? I heard it was the new cool thing among kids to have titans battling it, just saying. Q:What drove the decision to allow earning of notoriously difficult badges (4k/20 kill) in the wildcard game mode? Though it’s nice for less-skilled players like me to be able to earn them now, I am not blind to the fact that it takes away from the meaning of those badges and the grind people who earned them in normal BR had to endure.Apex Legends™: Showdown Patch Notes
WILDCARD Check out our dedicated blog here for all the cards you’ll want to have in your hand before jumping in. LEGEND UPDATES In addition to some Controller class updates, we’ve also taken a pass at two smokeshow Legends. Good to have you back in the meta, Gas Daddy and Bangydang. CAUSTIC Caustic’s gas should be deadly enough to live up to the fantasy, but lately it’s felt a little toothless. With the updates detailed below, Nox Gas has become something Caustics can trust to threaten or hold an area for a long time with windows that attackers can play around. Also, Caustic’s new Field Research perk allows him to gain additional Legend Updates—making him the first to be able to get all four upgrades at once! BANGALORE With a whole new Legend Upgrade tree, Bangalore’s been given tons of new flexibility. Among these new options, are new breaching mechanics that allow you to clear out entrenched enemies. GAMEPLAY ADDITIONS We’ve got three powerful additions to the Outlands with Showdown. Read on for an overview or dive into specifics with Patch Notes sections further down: Elite Weapons take the firepower from Ballistic’s personal stash and into your hands. These variants pack a punch and replace their typical counterparts for a limited-time. Showdown brings the RE-45: Burst, which swaps to Energy ammo and comes with a spin-up mechanic. Legend Amps are game-changing passives available in Unranked and Ranked BR matches. With five options to choose from, there’s an optimal Amp that could sway things in your favor in any type of fight. Locked Hop-Ups means that the looting for these boosts are no more. Each weapon comes pre-equipped with its Hop-Up waiting to be activated and unlocked for the rest of the match. RANKED Key adjustments have been made to better reflect your performance and risks. Entry costs, placement RP, and kill points have been tuned to create more room for performance-based variance and rewarding consistent well-rounded play. The updated Challenger Bonus gives more RP to players who take on and win fights against higher-tier opponents. And those aren’t the only Ranked updates in Showdown. NEW: DROP ZONES Drop Zones will start Ranked matches faster and fairer with squads automatically spread out across POIs. Before the match starts, you’ll see a preview of your Drop Zone with a ping-able map for strategic co-ordination before locking in your Legends. Loot has been fairly distributed across POIs, so no Hot Zones here. Keep your head up, though. There’s always the chance a neighboring squad will contest by skydiving in. AURAS Introducing a brand new cosmetic option: Auras. When equipped, your Aura will be visible in the lobby, Legend selection, and during podium moments. In matches: during dives, emoting in 3rd-person, and it’s visible for both of the engaged players when reviving or finishing. You can toggle your clout on/off in the Legend Locker. Every player with access to Ranked will get the “Ascension Crest” Aura after logging-in after Showdown’s launch and it will reactively reflect your Ranked Tier going forward. Those still working on their Road to Ranked will be granted this Aura once Ranked is unlocked. ACCOLADES Time to recognize players and their squadmates for all that they do during a match—not just winning. From pulling off tricky double kills to expertly blocking damage for your squad, Accolades highlight actions that often go unnoticed, uncelebrated, and untracked. They’re designed to celebrate varying playstyles and skill, and can be earned in Unranked, Ranked, Wildcard, and Mixtape with each tracking separately. Each Accolade has up to four tiers for you to achieve as you progress and they’ll award XP too. Post-match, the summary will show your earned Accolades and your Gladiator Card the top three. You can earn and record multiple Accolades each day, but there’s a cap of 2200XP for these per day. Find the full list and your tracking under Account Progression, including descriptions, targets, and those you’ve earned this season, per mode, and how many times you’ve hit them. CHALLENGE UPDATE We’ve updated our challenge system to try and help you progress more consistently no matter which mode you choose. Most challenges that used to require specific modes or had dual targets now count across all modes, making it easier to play how you want and still finish your Battle Pass. To keep time-to-completion balanced, some challenge targets have increased and we've added progression boosts to some modes. For example, “Deal 10K damage as a Skirmisher or Assault Legend” gets a 2x progress modifier in BR to match it to Mixtape’s completion time. This is part of our long-term goal to create challenges that support a wider range of playstyles. Jump in, play your way, and get rewarded just like before. NEW REWARD FLOW Based on your feedback around reward confusion, we’ve created a new summary to showcase your hard work and rewards without the plethora of pop-ups. You’ll now be able to see each reward (including those occasionally granted silently), how it was earned, and additional details all at once—giving you more time to celebrate those Ws. NINTENDO SWITCH 2 Apex Legends is now available to download on Nintendo Switch 2! Log into Apex Legends on your Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2 before September 16, 2025 to automatically receive the “P.A.T.H.” Pathfinder skin!** Enjoy up to 60 FPS, depending on monitor/hardware capability and compatibility (1920x1080 docked, 1792x1008 undocked) When you login, you’ll be redirected to the eShop to download Apex Legends on Nintendo Switch 2. You’ll be able to delete “Apex Legends for Nintendo Switch” after you login to the updated version. **Requires EA account & all game updates. Applicable platform account &/or subscription may be required. Only available on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. Must log in to Apex Legends (available separately) by September 16, 2025 to claim. Limit 1 per account. PATCH NOTES BALANCE UPDATES Care Package Peacekeeper returns to the floor Akimbo P2020 enters Gold Weapon Rotation EVA-8, Hemlok, RE-45: Burst, Sentinel, Wingman EVO Harvesters EVO rewarded by Harvesters increased to 425 (was 350) Overhauled placement to guarantee spawns closer to the geo-center and away from POIs cores Spawn rate reduced to 8 or 9 depending on Map size (was 17-20) Dev Note: EVO Harvesters haven’t seen many adjustments, so it’s time to shake things up. We’re removing spawns at the edges of playable space and preventing them from the center of POIs. This could lead to unfair starts where some levelled up quickly by chance, while others were left behind. Now intentional strategic moves will be needed to access Harvesters. With fewer of them, the chances of bumping into enemies is high, but the reward is too with nearly enough EVO to level up. GAMEPLAY UPDATES NEW: Amps Purple tier loot items Early game: fairly uncommon with a higher chance to spawn in high tier loot locations such as Care Packages, Vaults, and the Hot Zone After Bins Reset: all bins have a higher chance to spawn an Amp Mythic, Legendary, Extended, and Weapon supply bins guarantee one Five Amp types: Infinite Ammo Amp: gain infinite ammo for non-care package weapons Temporarily locks two inventory slots. These slots can hold ammo, but you cannot drop their contents. Bottomless Batteries Amp: Batteries are not consumed upon use Must have at least 2 Batteries in your inventory to activate Over Armor Amp: gain an additional 25 shield capacity Stacks with Ring Expert, but cannot exceed 125 total shields Heal Overflow Amp: after using a cell or syringe, the corresponding health bar will fully heal over time Taking damage stops the regeneration Power Booster Amp: reduces cooldown for Tac and Ult Refresh a Tactical charge when knocking an enemy Dev Note: Amps are a new vector to explore when creating and optimizing your loadout. Your choice could be influenced by playstyle, team composition, weapons, and the bedlam each match provides. The Amp you want in one match may not be the one you need in the next. NEW: Elite Weapons Limited-time standard-issue weapons are replaced with one from Ballistic's private collection Features devastating new mechanics from across the Outlands Showdown’s Elite Weapon is the RE-45: Burst Swaps Light ammo for Energy ammo New spin-up mechanic that fires 3-round bursts in rapid succession NEW: Locked Hop-Ups Hop-Ups removed from floor loot Now pre-equipped and locked to weapons, start as inactive Can’t be removed or transferred Gain Locked Hop-Up Points to activate by: Dealing damage to other players with the weapon (damage from any any other source grants partial credit) Upgrading at the appropriate Arsenal Picking up Hop-Up Boosters White, blue, and purple kitted weapons do not come with Locked Hop-Ups Gold kitted and Care Package weapons come with their Hop-Ups already unlocked Helmets Removed Gold and Mythic helmets from floor loot World’s Edge: Rampart’s Big Maude Paintball weapons are no longer offered at vending machines Blue and purple kitted weapons are now offered at vending machines Reduced time to unlock weapons by 2 seconds LOOT BINS Extended Supply Bins Top drawer contents now give support items to everyone Secret drawer and EVO value remain unchanged Removed icons from minimap and full-map Before Bin Reset: small chance of spawning an Amp and/or an Ult Accelerant After Bin Reset: guaranteed Amp and/or Ult Accelerant Weapon Supply Bins Top drawer contents now give assault items to everyone Secret drawer and EVO value remain unchanged Removed Icons from minimap and full-map Before Bin Reset: small chance of spawning Amp and/or Hop-Up Booster After Bin Reset: guaranteed Amp and/or Hop-Up Booster if a squadmate needs one Legendary Supply Bins Amps and Hop-Up Boosters added to the pool LEGENDS Controller Class Zone Overcharge: now continuously regenerates shields while in zone Taking damage stops this for 6s Ring Consoles: players can spawn a taller custom EVAC from Ring Consoles they have scanned Dev Note: Controllers should have priority when taking key spots and defending, so we’ve buffed their perks so they can get to zone early and fight with less loot. BANGALORE Abilities Passive: Double Time Speed increased by 5% Tactical: Smoke Launcher Canister breaks and travels through doors Projectile speed increased to 2900 (was 2500) Pull out time reduced to 0.25 (was 0.35) Cooldown reduced to 30s (was 35s) Gas now reactive: ordnance and abilities can disable it for 5s when used inside/nearby Ultimate: Rolling Thunder Cooldown reduced to 210s (was 270s) Reduced anim frame to fire projectile to 1 (was 5) Upgrades Level 2 Ultimate Cooldown+ & Tactical Cooldown: removed Cover Me: moved to Level 2 Electric Smoke: electrifies Tac dealing 100 damage to enemy Ults and destroys Tacs Level 3 Refuge: removed, integrated into Cover Me NEW ECM Payload: electrifies Ult dealing 10 more damage, destroys enemy deployables NEW Medal of Honor: faster revives and passive triggers running towards knocked allies Dev Note: Bangalore is always fun to play, which also makes her a prime candidate to buff into a flex pick. We’ve updated her upgrades to give her more choices and be a stronger balancing force overall. Similar to how other Controllers are set to answer highly mobile Legends, Bangalore can now be the one to tackle slower, more defensive metas. CAUSTIC Nox Gas Damage Increased to 10-15 (was 4-10) Now causes aim punch to victims when causing damage Caustic’s Health Bar does not show while inside Increased visibility both outside and inside his own gas Green highlighting is still active Clouds now have threat indicators for victims Now Grounds enemies: slowing them once and draining them of movement cooldowns “Slow” changed: immediately drains velocity to the desired speed even if the target is moving at high velocity or in the air Gas now reactive: ordnance and abilities can disable it for 5s when used inside/nearby Abilities NEW Passive: Field Research (was Nox Vision) Gain research points from poisoning enemies, opening unique Death Boxes, and scanning ring consoles Unlock an upgrade point for every 100 research points (max 2) Can uniquely have all 4 upgrades unlocked at once Tactical: Nox Gas Trap Trap health increased to 225 (was 150) Trap can be activated earlier while inflating Reduced toss and stow by 0.1s Increased trap activation radius to 260 (was 140) Increased gas radius to 300 (was 282) Doubled lifetime to 22s (was 11s) Caustic traps take ring damage Increased activation delay to 0.8s (was 0.2s) Traps take bullet damage while inflating Traps take critical (1.4x) damage when hit in the o-ring/base Ultimate: Nox Gas Grenade Reduced cooldown to 2min (was 3m) Reduced toss and stow time by 0.05s Increased projectile speed to 1500 (was 1300) Increase duration to 20s (was 15s) Upgrades Level 2 Parabolic Force & Residual Toxins: removed (integrated into base kit) NEW Extra Traps: one additional charge, increased max in world by 2 Breathe It In: moved to Level 2 Level 3 NEW Gas Fighter: Tac recharges 300% faster while in gas Particle Diffuser: increases Ult radius by +50% Dev Note: At long last Nox Gas is powerful enough to be scary, even lethal again. To balance this out, we’ve made it reactive to explosions and player abilities. We hope this makes Caustic feel powerful and more relevant, while offering opponents a way to counterplay if they’re smart about using resources. AMMO & ATTACHMENTS NEW Hop-Up Booster Grants 100 Locked Hop-Up Points on pick-up Only found in Weapon and Legendary Supply Bins Can not be picked-up without a Locked Hop-Up weapon Does not appear in Loba’s Black Market LOCKED HOP-UPS Accelerator 150 Locked Hop-Up Points to unlock Compatible with Peacekeeper, L-STAR, and Alternator Must have weapon in hand in order to receive additional Ult gain on knock Assist window reduced to 3s (was 10s) Ult gain on knock increased to 30% (was 20%) No longer comes pre-equipped to white, blue, and purple kitted weapons Dev Note: Accelerator has been a very powerful Hop-Up since its addition. We want to keep its power high while incentivizing you to use these weapons more, rather than just shoving them in your secondary slot or sling (looking at you Ballistic mains). Graffiti Mod 300 Locked Hop-Up Points to unlock Compatible with Volt, Spitfire, and EVA-8 Greatly improves weapon handling Slightly increases magazine size Adds paintball rounds for some battlefield flair Gun Shield Generator 250 Locked Hop-Up Points to unlock Compatible with Hemlok, R-301, and Rampage Selectfire Receiver 250 Locked Hop-Up Points to unlock Compatible with Charge Rifle and Prowler Skull Piercer 400 Locked Hop-Up Points to unlock Compatible with Wingman, Longbow, and 30-30 WEAPONS LMG Devotion LMG Widened reverse hipfire spread Removed improved scaling from high-tier barrels and stocks (Previous Hotfix) Mag size reduced to 48 (was 52) (Previous Hotfix) M600 Spitfire & Rampage LMG Widened reverse hipfire spread Dev Note: LMGs were feeling especially oppressive in close quarters combat and reverse hipfire contributes to a lot of that. They’re a strong and relevant weapon class, but recognize that we need to tamp down on some of that spray gameplay. PISTOL Akimbo P2020 (Care Package) Increased damage to 25 (was 24) Decreased reload time Improved hipfire accuracy Added Hop-Up: Kinetic Feeder RE-45 Burst Added to floor loot Also found on Energy Arsenals RE-45 Auto Removed from floor loot SHOTGUN EVA-8 Auto (Previous Hotfix) Damage per pellet increased to 7 (was 6) Reduced rate of fire Purple and Gold bolts now match other shotguns Mozambique Shotgun Slightly tightened blast pattern Increased rate of fire in akimbo and single fire modes Increased rate of fire when using a white or blue shotgun bolt Peacekeeper (Floor Loot) Increased magazine size to 6 (was 5) Increased choke time Widened blast patten Increased rechamber time No longer deals headshot damage MAPS NEW: E-District Daytime Lighting overhaul: now takes place during the day Lotus: new rotation added Added adjacent doorways to many shops for additional flow Removed some buildings and clutter to improve readability MAP ROTATIONS Unranked & Ranked Broken Moon E-District Storm Point Mixtape (August 5-September 15, 2025) TDM: Thunderdome, Fragment, Skull Town Control: Lava Siphon, Barometer, Production Yard Gun Run: Skull Town, Thunderdome, Zeus Station MODES Trios & Duos (August 5-September 15, 2025) Wildcard (August 5-18, 2025) Second Chance Revivals Legend stacking possible Self Revive Drop Kit Simplified Loot & Inventory Auto Looting EVO Orbs Level up weapons Reduce respawn timers Grant a percentage of shield & Ult charge Kickstart health regen Wildcard (September 9-15, 2025) Return to core Wildcard experience RANKED Drop Zones Details Match start: squads are randomly assigned a POI Pre-Legend Select: players are presented with a map preview of Drop Zone After Legend Select: players deploy via squad Dropship to assigned zone with nearby enemy POIs marked for imminent threat During landing: added warning for incoming threats if an enemy squad invades Drop Zone Dev Note: Ranked matches should allow you to get into the match before it’s over—bad drops can ruin that and lose you RP. Drop Zones means that all players will land at relatively the same time and have a shot at survival without waiting for the Dropship to unload. Contested drops are still possible, but limited and manageable: no more will half the lobby drop on the same POI. You’ll get the best chance at loot in your assigned Drop Zone, but efficient looting is still important in case enemies invade. Heat Shields Heat Shields are disabled in Ranked Dev Note: Stalling near the Ring and doing long out-of-Ring rotations will now be even riskier. You’ll need to rely on good positioning in order to survive into the late game. SCORING Challenger Bonus: reworked bonuses when eliminating higher-ranked opponents If the killer’s rank is 1 tier lower than the victim: KP +15% bonus If the gap is 2 tiers: +25% bonus If the gap is 3 tiers: +35% bonus If the gap is 4 tiers or more: +50% bonus Entry Cost Adjustment Bronze: 10 RP (was 0 RP) Gold: 38RP (was 35 RP) Platinum: 48 RP (was 45 RP) Kill Points Adjustment 1st: 20 RP (was 26 RP) 2nd: 18 RP (was 22 RP) 3rd: 16 RP (was 18 RP) 4th: 14 RP (was 16 RP) 5th: 12 RP (was 16 RP) 6th: 10 RP (was 16 RP) 7th: 10 RP (was 14 RP) 8th: 10 RP (was 14 RP) 9th: 8 RP (was 12 RP) 10th: 8 RP (was 12 RP) 11th-15th: 6 RP (was 10 RP) 16th-20th: 4 RP (was 10 RP) Placement Points Adjustment 2nd Place: 100 RP (was 95 RP) 3rd Place: 75 RP (was 70 RP) 6th Place: 40 RP (was 30 RP) SYSTEM Added report option for Wallhacking/Impossible Gamesense Dev Note: Based on your feedback and the Reddit AMA, the Wallhack report option is back! If you encounter impossible game sense, let us know by reporting them. BUG FIXES Burst weapon firing sounds now stop if the weapon overheated due to Ballistic's Tac Fixed inconsistent behavior when picking up some weapon attachments Fixed intermittent issues when predicting aim punches from ring damage Firing Range: fixed a few bugs that allowed other players in the server to impact your game Replicator: can no longer craft on a side with an item printing Ring visual effects now consistently show up in Kings Canyon Storm Point’s Northpad Tower drops sniper loot again Ziprails make a first person noise when attaching LEGENDS Wattson Corrected the used weapon name for eliminations from electrified door Dropping Gold Helmet no longer removes effects of Energized Healer upgrade (Previous Hotfix) Double doors no longer have one door electrified if the other breaks Ultimate Conductor no longer gives Ult charge from self damage (Previous Hotfix) Ultimate Conductor gives burst Ult charge correctly Bangalore: Ult missile no longer destroyed if it hits Newcastle Tac QUALITY OF LIFE Bots: improvements to behavior Lifeline: updated Halo’s enemy coloring to help differentiate against the ring Newcastle: Ult can now be targeted and placed over Alter’s Tac portals Replicator: updated color and associated assets to blue (was purple) Vantage: scanning an enemy will no longer show shield information if enemy’s eliminated. Previously, dead enemies would show if banner was active. (Previous Hotfix) Wattson: electrified doors no longer end if the fence placer dies or disconnects Updates and tuning to some VFX, primarily on 1P Impact FX revolving around Armor and Flesh Impacts Armor: 90% less smoke, 40% less debris Flesh: less lingering blood with shorter lifespan, smaller blood size debris AUDIO Reduced occlusion of roof footsteps for clarity and consistency Skydiving audio will be quieter in intended in certain situations Mic monitor in audio settings now displays for solo players in lobby GRAPHICS New tonemapping for a more natural appearance of highlights with very bright colors VFX: more consistent brightness regardless of in-game auto exposure, preventing extreme brightness in dark areas Apex Legends™: Showdown Patch Notes Play Apex Legends for free* now on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via the EA app, Epic, and Steam. Follow Apex Legends™ on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and check out our forums. Sign up for our newsletter today to receive the latest Apex Legends news, updates, behind-the-scenes content, exclusive offers, and more (including other EA news, products, events, and promotions) by email. This announcement may change as we listen to community feedback and continue developing and evolving our Live Service & Content. We will always strive to keep our community as informed as possible. For more information, please refer to EA’s Online Service Updates at https://www.ea.com/service-updates. *Applicable platform account and platform subscription (sold separately) may be required. A persistent internet connection and EA account required. Age restrictions apply. Includes in-game purchases. †Not available in all territories.
New Updates Coming with Apex Legends™: Showdown
It’s a whole new showdown this season, Legends. Try your hand at the new Wildcard mode: it’s faster gameplay, streamlined upgrades, and a whole lot of explosive loot. Caustic and Bangalore lead the buffs, with some updates to the Controller class as well. Mix things up with Amps, new game-changing passives available each match. Try your hand at Ballistic’s personal weapon collection with the Elite variant of the RE-45. And say goodbye to loot chasing Hop-Ups as they’re now locked to the weapons in your hand. Add in a fresh take on E-District, Ranked updates, and more, yeah, it's going to be a wild season. NEW PERMANENT MODE: WILDCARD Wildcard is just like it sounds—a wild time. Want a three stack of Mirages? Sure, stack Legends as much as you’d like. Gotta go fast? This remixed variant Kings Canyon has been super loaded with extra gravity cannons, ziplines, and even more toys. Dropped a little too hot to handle? Second chances are at play here with opportunities for revival even in the last ring. We’ve also simplified the loot and inventory, added in auto-looting, made some adjustments to EVO, and even more to make this a fast paced and fun addition to the Apex Games. It’s the experimental playground of every Legend’s dreams. Check out our dedicated blog here for everything you need to know before jumping in. LEGEND UPDATES We’ve got buffs a plenty for two Legends that have been hiding in some fog for a while: Dr. Alexander Nox and Ms Anita Williams. Lets see what you can do with these updates for Caustic, Bangalore, and more in this Showdown of a season. Get all of the details on these Legend changes and more meta updates in Patch Notes on August 4, 2025. ELITE WEAPONS: RE-45 BURST PISTOL Also being introduced this season are Elite Weapons: the firepower you know and love from Ballistic’s personal armory, so expect the unexpected with these variants. In the case of the RE-45, this little number becomes a pocket-sized mini-gun with its spin-up, three round bursts and the type of damage that only energy ammo can satisfy. Good things do come in small packages. LEGEND AMPS Amps are an all new way to switch-up your playstyle—amp it up, if you will. Available in Unranked and Ranked BR matches, you’ll be able to loot game-changing passives like bonus movement, better heals, more shields, and more. Amps will be tough to find until the first Bin reset, but they may just be the thing that helps you survive the next time you get third-partied. There are five different Amps and each comes with its own powerful ability; however, you can only hold one at a time so choose wisely. LOCKED HOP-UPS Hop-Ups are a tried and true way to add a little je ne sais quoi. This season we’re taking the RNG out of this boost and locking them to the weapons themselves. Deliver damage to fuel up your weapon’s Hop-Up ability and unlock it for the remainder of the match. If you pick-up a new weapon, then the fun begins again. All Hop-Ups currently available in-game will be a part of this change and we’ve added a new one to the mix too: Graffiti Mod. More on that one in Patch Notes on Monday, August 4, 2025. DAYTIME IN E-DISTRICT Good morrow, E-District! Reimagined under bright, overcast skies, this switch to daytime brings a fresh feel and dramatically improved gameplay clarity. Sunbeams slice through clouds and a light atmospheric fog helps separate foreground from background for cleaner visual reads. We’ve also run a full declutter pass across the map, removing everything from stray debris to entire buildings to sharpen awareness and open up key sightlines. Shops that once led to dead ends now connect through newly opened doorways, making rotations smoother and fights more dynamic. And for players dropping hot at Lotus, a brand new rotation has been carved straight through a wall of buildings, offering a much needed third option for repositioning under pressure. It’s clarity by design - and every fight feels better because of it. SEE YOU ON THE DROPSHIP The cards have been dealt and are in your hands. What will you drop in on first? The new, fast paced Wildcard mode? Maybe check out the Elite RE-45 or Locked Hop-Ups? Maybe you’ll check out the sights of E-District in the light. But don’t sleep on those Legend Amps. New Updates Coming with Apex Legends™: Showdown Play Apex Legends for free* now on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via the EA app, Epic, and Steam. Follow Apex Legends™ on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and check out our forums. Sign up for our newsletter today to receive the latest Apex Legends news, updates, behind-the-scenes content, exclusive offers, and more (including other EA news, products, events, and promotions) by email. This announcement may change as we listen to community feedback and continue developing and evolving our Live Service & Content. We will always strive to keep our community as informed as possible. For more information, please refer to EA’s Online Service Updates at https://www.ea.com/service-updates. *Applicable platform account and platform subscription (sold separately) may be required. A persistent internet connection and EA account required. Age restrictions apply. Includes in-game purchases.Wildcard Coming with Apex Legends™: Showdown
Wildcard is a brand new way to play that challenges what you’ve come to expect with the typical Apex Legends matches. It’s a twist on the squads you’re used to, with streamlined Legends and the option to stack Legends as you please. It’s fun and fast with pacing built into its core thanks to an updated Kings Canyon with almost unlimited movement toys. And it’s all about the firepower here—more shooting, less looting speaks for itself. This new permanent mode allows you to take risks without worrying about your stats or RP, and you haven’t seen the last of what this mode will bring just yet. PLAY BIG, PLAY LOUD With a mode as fast as this one, there’s just no time to loot—especially if you get that one squadmate who needs to spend the first ten minutes going through every bin. Wildcard’s about getting you into the match, trying things out, and building your Apex confidence all at the pace of Octane: ¡Rápido! MORE SHOOTING With a map built for movement, you won’t want to stand still. Get those guns ready and be prepared for battle around every corner, and after every revive. Weapon Leveling: level up your firepower by earning EVO Orbs by eliminating enemies, performing certain actions, and maybe even finding them in a Loot Bin Kitted Weapons: each piece you pick up also comes with a full batch of attachments that’ll level up with your weapon Respawning: as long as one squadmate’s alive then so are you, all the way through to the final ring. Bonus? Have them earn EVO to speed up your respawn time. Self-Revive Kits: everybody gets one at drop, and if you don’t use you’ll lose it LESS LOOTING Wildcard’s system has been tuned specifically for the rapid-fire match at hand: Auto Looting: bringing the goods straight to your inventory. With each elimination, ammo and EVO Orbs will appear for you to run over and automatically pick-up while keeping your head up. Reduced loot pool: no backpacks, no knockdown shields, no accelerants, no helmets, no Hop-Ups, you get it. Shield Cells are still up for grabs, but your health will auto-regen after you’ve been out of combat for a bit. Simplified Inventory: gone is inventory management with dedicated slots and auto-sorting to keep your focus where it’s needed ULTIMATE PLAYGROUND The ultimate goal of this new permanent mode is exactly what it sounds like: an experimental playground for players to have some fun with, maybe even show off a little. We’ve had consistent feedback that players want a way to try things out and get better without the strings or confines of Unranked and Ranked, and Firing Range just doesn’t feed that hunger in the same way. Enter Wildcard. This 30 player mode has a shortened match length and tightened ring size to keep matches around the 15 minute mark. Each match should give you a taste of what’s possible without the pressure to perform. As we teased above, it also has its own gameplay parameters with different rules with Legends, a unique take on Kings Canyon, and a focus on getting those shots. STACK THOSE LEGENDS The difference in experience begins with Legends. Everyone on the squad can pick who they want, even if the Legend has already been picked. Want three Mirages? Sounds like a lot of chatter and chaos, but go for it. In-match is streamlined too. There are no Legend Upgrades and no Class Perks. Just pure Legend power—and you may spot some unique Legend select animations too. WILDIN’ ON KINGS CANYON Kings Canyon with a little bit of spice. This classic map has been updated to be the ultimate movement machine. Grav canons, zip rails, jump towers and jump pads galore bring the boost you’re looking for whether it’s running from a fight or to it. NOT DONE YET Wildcard was designed to not only be a playground for you, but also for us. Like other aspects of the game, Wildcard has a designated team to ensure that it is updated and may try some new features on for size. Look for future experimentations, seasonal updates, and surprise takeovers to keep the experience fresh and truly embody its namesake. Wildcard Coming with Apex Legends™: Showdown Play Apex Legends for free* now on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via the EA app, Epic, and Steam. Follow Apex Legends™ on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and check out our forums. Sign up for our newsletter today to receive the latest Apex Legends news, updates, behind-the-scenes content, exclusive offers, and more (including other EA news, products, events, and promotions) by email. This announcement may change as we listen to community feedback and continue developing and evolving our Live Service & Content. We will always strive to keep our community as informed as possible. For more information, please refer to EA’s Online Service Updates at https://www.ea.com/service-updates. *Applicable platform account and platform subscription (sold separately) may be required. A persistent internet connection and EA account required. Age restrictions apply. Includes in-game purchases.Celebrate 6 Years of Apex
Another legendary year down. This year we celebrate the 6th anniversary of Apex Legends. How are we celebrating you ask? We’re back with an anniversary event like no other. This year, we have a free community-made reward tracker, a first of its kind Mythic R-301, Mythic Mayhem Royale, and more. COMMUNITY-MADE REWARD TRACKER Some of your favorite community artists and creators have joined forces to bring you a fresh and brand new community-made reward tracker to help commemorate our anniversary. Complete daily challenges and earn points to unlock free items like Legend skins, Art Trackers, Crafting Metals, an Anniversary Event pack, stickers and more. A huge and special shout out to all of the amazing artists and creators who squadded up to make this anniversary tracker happen! MYTHIC MAYHEM ROYALE Get ready for some Mythic Mayhem Royale! The new Mythic R-301 is coming to Pubs in this new takeover. Keep an eye out for new supply drops marked with Rampart's signature and hologram to receive a fully kitted R-301 with a distinct hop-up providing a unique buff during the event. In addition to Mythic Mayhem Royale, get ready to hunt down some Respawn Tokens while playing Trios and Duos (during the 3rd week of the event only). Loot a respawn token and get a second chance at victory! MYTHIC R-301 AND HEIRLOOM SHARDS Join the party and unleash destruction as you unlock 36 Anniversary Event items, with every item being Legendary or above, including a set of Heirloom Shards, Legend skins, weapon skins, and the Mythic R-301! Some Anniversary Event items this year may look familiar as we included a number of previous anniversary skins. However, if players already own the previous anniversary skins, they will automatically progress through the milestone rewards. Inspired by Wraith’s affinity with the void, mirroring her volatile nature and a dimension that transcends time and space - the first of its kind Mythic R-301 has entered the party. The Mythic R-301 is absolutely loaded. Use Exotic Shards to evolve it through four bold cosmetic upgrades. These upgrades include elevated animations, knock effects, and more. Players who obtain Void Disruption, the new Mythic R-301 weapon skin, during the Anniversary Event will automatically receive the matching Void Disruption ordnance skin. Afterwards, players will be able to unlock the Void Disruption ordnance skin via currency. STORE TAB Today through March 4th, you can snag skins from previous anniversary stores dating all the way back to Apex’s 2nd anniversary! Bundles with skins such as Lunar Elegance, Air Orchid, and Hype Beast will all be available. Play Apex Legends™ for free* now on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch™, and PC via the EA app, Epic, and Steam. Follow Apex Legends™ on X, Instagram, TikTok, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and check out our forums. Sign up for our newsletter today to receive the latest Apex Legends™ news, updates, behind-the-scenes content, exclusive offers, and more (including other EA news, products, events, and promotions) by email. This announcement may change as we listen to community feedback and continue developing and evolving our Live Service & Content. We will always strive to keep our community as informed as possible. For more information, please refer to EA’s Online Service Updates at https://www.ea.com/service-updates. *Applicable platform account and platform subscription (sold separately) may be required. A persistent internet connection and EA account required. Age restrictions apply. Includes in-game purchases. †Not available in all territories.
