1. Apex Legends
  2. News

Apex Legends News

Apex Legends™: Shockwave Patch Notes

[h2]NEW ENERGY, MORE ACTION[/h2]

Grab the squad, because the Games have a whole new energy! Drop back into the fight with Revivals, feel your power surge with Akimbo, use two new Battle Sense features to narrow in on your enemies in the heat of the fight, and more updates that make the Outlands legendary for all. Hone your skills in Bot Royale and hit new heights in E-District, your very own neon playground. Customize Stat Trackers to suit your needs or your ships, and you’ll automatically unlock three new ones for logging in this season. Time to Tap in, Legend.

Read the full breakdown of Shockwave’s highlights, including Revivals and Bot Royale, in our dedicated blog here.

[h2]NEW MAP: E-DISTRICT[/h2]



This map was designed to offer players a fresh and innovative experience. While it retains the core elements that define a great Apex map, we also pushed the boundaries by incorporating numerous buildings, emphasizing verticality, and creating varied landscapes. These changes ensure some of the most diverse fights and end-ring locations across the map.

Read the full breakdown of this latest map addition in our Welcome to E-District blog here.

[h2]SHOCKWAVE MAP ROTATION[/h2]

The following maps will be available in Pubs and Ranked for the first half of this season:

  • Broken Moon
  • E-District
  • Storm Point

As an introduction to our newest map, E-District will be the dedicated featured map for a limited time. Let the energy of the neon lights energize your squad with each Pub match for the first week and each Ranked match for the first 72 hours of the season.



[h2]CONTROLLER & RECON CLASS PERKS[/h2]

This season we’re beginning a much more intentional push on what classes mean to the core of the game by bringing new tactical class passives to the Controller and Recon classes. Both will continue to bring strategic depth to their squad via interactions with Survey Beacons and Ring Consoles, but they’ll now have new intrinsic power that better supports their role on the team.

[h2]CONTROLLER CLASS[/h2]

NEW CLASS PERK

  • Zone Overcharge: Controller Legends now have extra shield capacity when playing in zone
    • The Zone automatically grants an overcharge of 25HP shield capacity
    • This capacity is permanent while the player remains in zone (white ring area on the map)
      • Overcharge is lost when leaving zone (after 5s delay)
    • Overcharge can be healed with cells, batteries and abilities while in zone
    • If a player enters the zone at full shields, the overcharge pip will fill automatically
    • If a player acquires a shield core that overcharges beyond this extra zone capacity, that additional overcharge will still drain normally but the zone overcharge will remain
    • Zone Overcharge will never enhance Legend Armor beyond maximum (red) capacity
NEW QUALITY OF LIFE

  • Remote Pick-Up: Controller Legends can now remotely pick-up their undamaged Tacticals by looking back at them and pressing a button
    • Additionally, if the player abandons the area, they will prompted to recover ALL possible objects
    • Remotely recovering these objects will restore the Tactical charge
Dev Note: Controller Legends are at their best when playing for zone position. This season, we’re rewarding that behavior in Legends who don’t want to skim the edges of battle hunting for EVO, and instead allow them to maintain an equal footing on their armor when playing to their strengths. Gaining knowledge of the next ring and keeping a good position will be important to maintaining this advantage.

Additionally, we noticed that many newer players to the Controller Class struggle with management of their Tacticals. This takes a step towards making it more desirable to experiment with traps or to feel more comfortable setting up shop with less worry about having to abandon your entire setup to move to a slightly better building. We want Controller players to play with their kit more freely and not have to do extra running around to recycle charges or feel locked into their setup if they have to move.


[h2]RECON CLASS[/h2]

NEW CLASS PERK

  • Threat Vision: Recon Legends now gain threat vision when aiming down sights
    • Threat vision will highlight enemies that the character has Line of Sight to whenever using ADS (aim down sights)
    • This ability will not work through walls or smoke, and it’s limited in range by the type of scope or zoom range of an ability
SURVEY BEACONS

  • Faster to use ~3s (was ~7.5s)
  • Shortened range of ~500m (was scanning the entire map)
  • No longer randomly distributed and all will now be turned on with every map
  • Scanning now grants 75 EVO (was 200 EVO)
  • Now pulses 3 times over 15s, with each pulse taking a snapshot of enemies in range for 5s
  • Now release a large in-world scan wave that players can spot to identify an activated beacon (enemies no longer receive a scan message)
  • Enemies scanned will display along the edges of the mini-map even if not in
Dev Note: Recon Legends are defined as Legends who are about Enemy Intel & Tracking; which is a core part of each character’s play pattern, but to date, the only class benefit was something players had to seek out via Survey Beacons. We’re ratcheting up the scouting role for Recon Legends this season and putting class power directly into their hands. With ADS Threat Vision, these characters are now adept at spotting distant targets for their team, and now innately do something that no other class can.

The changes to Survey Beacons should allow players to make them a more tactical part of their play, rather than just a strategic element. The full map scan was really only useful to a small number of high level players, and often the scan messaging would turn your team into a magnet for others to hunt. Now, being more frequent, faster to use, and giving more intel for longer makes it easier to use the beacons with confidence and hunt in the immediate area or note secure paths out of a POI for rotation.

[h2]UPDATE: STAT TRACKERS[/h2]

We've made a huge quality of life upgrade to Stat Trackers and are separating out the Stat and the Art. You'll now be able to set these on your Legend Banner Cards separately. The Art on your trackers have also been made universal, which means they can be applied to any Legend Banner Card. We wanted to give players more ways to customize their Banner Cards and let you show off your more than just one Legend there. It’s also a great way to show off your Legend ships!

Login at any point during Shockwave to automatically unlock three new Stat Trackers to add to your mix and match collection.

[h2]SHOCKWAVE BATTLE PASS[/h2]

For a summary of the updated Battle Pass offerings, please check out our dedicated blog and infographic here. Here's a TLDR:

  • With the launch of Season 22 on August 6th through Split 1, we want to give you an opportunity to get the Premium Battle Pass. You can unlock it by completing a series of simple in-game challenges before the end of Split 1 on September 17th at 10:00am PT:
    • Play 2 matches in Trios on a specific map
    • Deal 1,000 damage as a Recon or Controller Legend in BR
    • Open 15 Supply Bins in any mode
    • Deal 500 damage in BR with a specific weapon
    • Complete 10 levels of the Battle Pass
  • Starting with Split 2 on September 17th, you can get the Premium Battle Passes the same way as before: by using 950 Apex Coins. You’ll be able to earn enough Apex Coins via the Battle Pass to get future passes.
  • The Battle Pass options now include better rewards—and with the re-tuned Battle Pass challenges, it'll be faster to complete at only 60 levels.


[h2]PATCH NOTES[/h2]

[h2]BALANCE UPDATES[/h2]

Care Package

  • EVA-8 returns to the floor
    • Blast pattern size slightly increased
    • Damage increased to 7 (was 6)
    • Fire rate decreased
    • Now takes Boosted Loader Hop-Up
      • 4 shots remaining activation
      • Quick reload overflows Magazine by 2
    • Slight increase to recoil
  • R-99 enters the Care Package
    • ADS strafe speed increased
    • Improved recoil
    • New Feature: Damage fall-off
      • Damage increased to 14 at close range
      • Damage falls off to 10 at 11+ meters
    • No movement penalty when equipped
  • EVO Cache Spawn Rate in the first wave increased to 100% (was 50%)
Gold Weapon Rotation

  • Mozambique Akimbo, P2020 Akimbo, R-301, Rampage, Sentinel

[h2]GAMEPLAY UPDATES[/h2]

Aim Assist

  • Console crossplay into PC lobbies: Aim Assist strength reduced 18%
  • Console performance mode crossplay into PC lobbies: Aim Assist strength reduced 22%
  • Controller on PC: Aim Assist strength reduced 25%
Dev Note: We value our accessibility as a cross-platform game, but it's equally important for us to monitor that ecosystem. Experiential stories from all types of players tracks with the data we're seeing when it comes to encounter win rate between different peripherals. Apex Legends is a competitive shooter, and simply put, aim assist is too strong. Aim assist will never be removed as it's a critical accessibility feature. Console lobbies remain unaffected; this only impacts players on controllers in PC lobbies (our most competitive ecosystem). This change doesn't solve the intricacies of all aim assist hot topics, but it should help level the playing ground.

Aim Flinch

  • Aim Flinch has been removed from all weapons & most abilities
  • Damage from the ring still incurs Aim Flinch
Dev Note: Let's be honest, no one really had love for Aim Flinch. We’ve made the call to eliminate it from all weapons and most Legend abilities. However there are some Legend abilities that do benefit from the added feedback like dunking on someone with a Newcastle ult. We’ll keep an eye on abilities that may need additional feedback as we see how this change affects the game.

Loot Bin Reset

Starting with Shockwave, all loot bins will close and reroll their loot with a significantly increased chance at high tier and rare loot at the mid-way point of the match.

  • Bins that have been rerolled will appear slightly differently than ones that have never been opened
  • After the reset, multiple bins will convert into Legendary loot bins that provide smart loot, guaranteeing that the contents to be relevant upgrades for a squad
Mythic Bin
  • One Mythic bin will spawn into the match with:
    • One random Care Package weapon
    • Gold version weapons of those that the squad is running at the time of opening the bin
    • Medical supplies and grenades
    • Large EVO bonus to the squad
  • Mythic bins are locked and require players to hold interact on them for a significant amount of time to crack them open for their team
  • Displayed on the map and minimap
Loot Pool
  • Reduce the spawn rate of Purple and Gold attachments by about 50%
Dev Note: Access to high tier attachments in the early game have started to feel too common which results in squashing the power progression over the course of a match. By reducing the amount of high tier loot in the early game players will be fighting on more even terms. To compensate for this reduction, “Loot Bin Reset” improves the overall quality of loot in the world which should provide a much smoother transition to end game power.

Reorganization: Death Boxes and Loba’s Black Market
  • Healing items now have a dedicated row and have been removed from the consumables category
  • Shield Cores have been moved to the top of the Gear category
Dev Note: These items are critical to a player’s success in the outlands, bringing them up to the top with consistent positions should expedite the looting process and eliminate some tedious scrolling for players.



Traversal

Mantling at the same time in the same spot as a teammate no longer forces both players to drop

[h2]BATTLE SENSE[/h2]

Better Ammo Awareness & Feedback
  • Critical Ammo state will now kick on when a player has 0 relevant ammo in their inventory
  • On screen Low Ammo indicators kick on earlier allowing players more opportunity to find ammo
    • Indicator also now displays the icon of the ammo type
  • Pinging for ammo will now display the ammo icon in the kill feed
  • When emptying a weapon of all reserve ammo it will now automatically ping that the player is in need of ammo
  • When looking at ammo on the ground the tooltip now displays compatibility with any of your currently equipped weapons
Dev Note: Running out of ammo is never fun and our low ammo states were set up in a way that didn’t provide much time or information for players to action on. These changes intend to set players up for more success when it comes to maintaining their ammo economy.

Enemy Health Bars

When damaging an enemy, players are now shown the enemy’s Armor and Health state. This Health Bar is only active for a brief time after dealing damage and then fades away. Health Bars, like Enemy Highlights require direct line of sight.

Enemy Highlight

Enemy players will now be highlighted with a red outline similar to how allies are highlighted with a blue one. The highlight is most prominent at close ranges and the intensity fades as targets get farther away. Enemy Highlights require direct line of sight (you can breathe now, Bangalore mains).

Both Enemy Health Bars and Enemy Highlights can be toggled on/off in Settings.

Dev Note: Visual clarity and accurate information are imperative to a player’s success. These new features, Highlighting and Health Bars, are intended to level the playing field and combat the intensity of battle. No one likes mag dumping into their squadmates back because they totally thought that was the enemy Lifeline.

Experienced players can easily develop the skill to call out health values of enemies based on the amount of damage they are dealing and the various shield levels but for newer players this can be a difficult task. Providing a visual aid for such critical information we hope evens the playing field a bit and can provide accurate and actionable information that can be relayed to the whole squad. You can really call out that “they’re one!”.

[h2]AMMO & ATTACHMENTS[/h2]

Ammo Spawn rates

  • Energy ammo: reduced individual spawn rate
  • Light & Heavy ammo: slight increase to individual spawn rate
  • Shotgun & Sniper ammo: increased individual spawn rate
Ammo Stack Changes
  • Light ammo stack size increased to 72 (was 60)
    • Individual brick size increased to 24 (was 20)
  • Energy ammo stack size decreased to 54 (was 60)
    • Individual brick size decreased to 18 (was 20)
  • Shotgun ammo stack size increased to 20 (was 16)
    • Individual brick size increased to 10 (was 8)
Dev Note: Light ammo weapons have been overshadowed by our Heavy and Energy arsenal the last few seasons. With this set of changes we’re hoping the ammo economy for Light will improve their viability and earn back a place in player’s loadouts.

Hop-ups
  • Disruptor Rounds removed from floor loot
  • New Hop-Up: Gun Shield Generator
    • Usable by all LMGs (Spitfire, Rampage, L-STAR, Devotion)
    • When aiming down sights automatically deploy a frontal Gun Shield
    • Gun Shield absorbs 40 damage
    • Gun Shield is recharged 12 seconds after taking damage or breaking
    • Improves Gibraltar’s Gun Shield
      • Gun Shield health increased to 75
      • Gun Shield recharge time remains the same as his passive


READ THE REST OF THE PATCH NOTES HERE

Apex Legends: Shockwave Battle Pass Split 1

Picture this: you, in a biker jacket, lighting up the killfeed with Akimbo Reactive P2020s. Now prepare to raise voltage with the Shockwave Battle Pass Split 1.



Earn the Premium Battle Pass Split 1 by completing challenges before the end of the 6 week Split 1. Charge through 60 levels of the Battle Pass to earn Legendary Skins like Loba’s “Cherry Bomb” and Fuse’s “Smooth Rider”, Exotic Shards, and the Legendary Peacekeeper “Turning to Custard” Weapon Skin as your work toward the Reactive P2020 “Hunter’s Best Friend”!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1172470/Apex_Legends/

NEW UPDATES COMING WITH APEX LEGENDS™: SHOCKWAVE

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]NEW UPDATES COMING WITH APEX LEGENDS™: SHOCKWAVE[/h2]

We all need a jumpstart occasionally, Legends. Nothing too shocking, but you may still want to ground yourself first. Shockwave is fully charged and ready to light up your time in the Outlands. The energy is palpable with the new respawn mechanic in Trios Revival (and Straight Shot Revival in our first event of the season), allowing you and the squad to get back into the fight sooner. Why not take a trip to E-District, our latest map, where it’s always lit with neon lights. Or light things up yourself with the all-new Akimbo by dual-wielding P2020s or Mozambiques for extra firepower.

Don’t get it twisted. The Apex Games are no vacation. Keep your wits about you with Battle Sense: enemy health bars and highlights become temporarily visible after you deal damage. Whether you’re new, returning, or looking for a change of pace, you can warm up, practice, and hone your skills in the new Bot Royale mode where you'll face bots in a condensed Battle Royale experience.

[h2]NEW: TRIOS REVIVAL[/h2]



Stay in the game longer with Revival: a new twist on respawning without banners or respawn beacons. As long as one squadmate still stands, you’ll automatically respawn based on a timer until the fourth ring. But it’s never that easy. Your respawn timer will increase with each death and each round; and if you and another are both down, you’ll respawn together with the earliest timer. Any living squadmate can speed up the timer by taking aggressive action like doing damage, downing enemies, and eliminating them.

Revival kicks off with pub Trios when Shockwave launches on August 6, 2024, and Straight Shot will also be getting the Revival spark shortly after launch with the first event of the season.

[h2]NEW MAP: E-DISTRICT[/h2]



Set your sights on a new site: E-District, a map built for verticality and instant, continuous action. This densely packed urban oasis has seen blackouts, riots, and a chemical attack at Humbert Labs all in its recent past. Now, thanks to the generosity of the Mercenary Syndicate, it’s been cleaned, powered up, and transformed for your entertainment. Every block of this high-rise battleground has a story to tell. Where will you build yours?

Check out our full Welcome to E-District blog tomorrow, August 2, for a full overview of all the details.

[h2]NEW WEAPON: AKIMBO[/h2]



Akimbo has made it to the Outlands! Dual wield two P2020s or two Mozambiques (not one of each) this season. Find and interact with a second P2020 or Mozambique and to automatically enter Akimbo mode.

In Akimbo, both the P2020s and Mozambiques will benefit from automatic firing and increased rate of fire. Attachments will be mirrored to the second weapon (no need to find two light magazines or bolts), however optics will be disabled. Magazine size while in Akimbo is doubled compared to the single version but will incur longer reload times. When aiming instead of looking down the sights you’ll instead tighten their hipfire spread. Opt back into the single version of these weapons by toggling their select fire which will holster the second weapon and re-enable their optic.

[h2]UPDATE: BATTLE SENSE[/h2]



It’s always best to keep your wits about you in the heat of battle. With Shockwave, we’re growing Battle Sense with two new features: temporary health bars and highlights that appear while you’re dealing damage to an enemy. But keep your eyes on the elimination prize—if you lose line of sight, the health bar disappears. Enemies will also be highlighted in red, making them easier to spot against the landscape around them and differentiate them from your squadmates.

[h2]NEW: WELCOME PASS & CHALLENGES [/h2]

With the launch of Shockwave, new players coming to Apex will receive the new Welcome Pass. The Welcome Pass is a unique set of challenges designed to help new players learn foundational skills to be successful in Battle Royale. Complete challenges to make your way through the track to earn cosmetics and Legend Tokens to unlock a Legend of their choice upon completion. All challenges in this track can be completed in Bot Royale or Battle Royale modes, and you’ll unlock additional sets of challenges as you progress.

[h2]NEW: BOT ROYALE[/h2]



Whether you’re a new player, a returning player, or just looking to get good, this new mode is the perfect arena to learn, practice, and perfect your playstyle outside of pubs and Ranked. Play by yourself with bot squadmates or fill out a fully human squad to take on a smaller lobby of eight enemy bot squads. And don’t worry about the MRVNs, they’ll be fine. Just dominate like the Legend you’ve always been.

[h2]SEE YOU ON THE DROPSHIP[/h2]

Shockwave is fully energized with Revival, E-District, Akimbo, Battle Sense, Bot Royale, and more. We’re just getting charged up. Our Welcome to E-District and Patch Notes blogs coming over the next few days are full of details you don’t want to miss. And keep your eyes on socials for more inside scoops from devs and behind the scenes content. Time to Tap in, Legends.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1172470/Apex_Legends/

Apex Legends: Shockwave Gameplay Trailer

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Apex Legends: Shockwave has a whole new energy! Play Revivals modes with Free Respawns to keep you right in the action. Flex new upgrades like Class Perks and Battle Sense to make the Outlands legendary for all. And do it all in the new map E-District, your own neon playground. Grab the squad, Legend. It’s time to Tap In.

Want to learn more?: http://x.ea.com/apxl/shockwave

EA меняет систему монетизации Apex Legends под давлением игроков

Издательство Electronic Arts частично отказалось от планов по модернизации системы монетизации в игре Apex Legends. Причиной стало недовольство аудитории.