What changed in Apex Legends™ in 2026

The 'Blind Box' round modifier has been reactivated in the Power Trip event.

From June 9th to June 23rd, Ranked will be solo queue only for players Diamond and above.

The solo-queue test has been disabled and postponed to later in the split, as initially intended.

Weapons granted during 'Red Handed' rounds will no longer remain in death boxes after the round ends.

The matchmaker now searches for an opponent of closely-aligned skill level for up to 60 seconds before expanding the matchmaking criteria.

Ranked will be solo-queue only for all players Diamond and above to address the imbalance between solo and premade squads.

Shortened the map rotation in Ranked from 24 hours to 4.5 hours to allow players to experience more maps.

Enabled bot-fill in mid-tier lobbies of Duos and Pub Trios matches to improve matchmaking quality.

Implemented stricter adherence to change-management workflow and automatic mechanisms to release queue pressure.

Limited squad-ups to 1 tier above or below your rank to create better matches for all.

Impacted abilities included: Newcastle's Castle Wall, Alter's Void Nexus, and other placeable deployables

Players will now respawn with a white backpack after being respawned at a Respawn Beacon.

Kings Canyon, Olympus, and Broken Moon are now available for Wildcard.

Introducing Ash's new Prestige Skin with a custom Finisher and unique Dive Trail.

Buildings on Kings Canyon will no longer become out of bounds after reinforcing Hard Light.

Unlock new bio-enhanced skins for Octane, Fuse, Wraith, Bangalore, and Lifeline.

New modifiers include Featherweight, Armored Up, Red Handed, Crouching Camo, Small Fry, Blind Box, Adrenaline Rush, Explosive, and Blank Slate.

Legends push beyond their limits with new Wildcard round modifiers and bio-enhanced cosmetics.

Reduced max in-world count from 3 to 2 and reduced hp from 150 to 100.

Decreased regen rate from 15/s to 10/s, increased regen duration from 6s to 8s, decreased total ally regen from 90 to 80, decreased total self-regen from 60 to 56, and increased Instant Barrier regen duration from 4s to 6s.

Seer's Ultimate now displays enemy footsteps as intended

New modifiers include Featherweight, Armored Up, Red Handed, Crouching Camo, Small Fry, Blind Box, Adrenaline Rush, Explosive, and Blank Slate.

Adjustments to shadows and highlights on Kings Canyon and Olympus

Unlock 25 new cosmetics inspired by Legends, including bio-enhanced skins for Octane, Fuse, Wraith, Bangalore, and Lifeline.

Get a new look for Ash with a custom Finisher and unique Dive Trail.

Legends are pushing beyond their limits with new Wildcard round modifiers and bio-enhanced cosmetics.

Axle's Kickstart explosion now clears smoke and gas in its AoE (similar to other explosions)

Players are able to craft at a Replicator in Wildcard without input delay in the menus

Wildcard features its own map rotation including Kings Canyon, Olympus, and Broken Moon.

Teammates can now see Vantage's pings as intended

The Turbocharger hop-up UI now accurately displays necessary information

Players who previously experienced crashes on Storm Point should ensure they have updated their GPU drivers.

Storm Point has replaced Kings Canyon in map rotation.

When using requeue functions, tier restrictions now work properly.

Resolved issues preventing players from accessing matches.

Issues preventing players from joining a match have been resolved.

A fix for the matchmaking outage caused an issue preventing players from joining matches.

Multiple new detection systems were implemented and existing ones updated.

139,697 bans issued for various cheating infractions.

Achieved the lowest match infection rate at 4.1% during Season 28.

7,912,251 RP removed from accounts with confirmed cheating infractions.

Summary of anti-cheat measures and ban statistics from Season 28.

547 entries into ALGS tournaments were denied due to anti-cheat measures.

Players can only join premade squads containing squadmates with a differential of ONE Ranked tier (down from two).

Players can only join premade squads containing squadmates with a differential of ONE Ranked tier (down from two).

Fixed a visual error that incorrectly indicated players could not squad up in Ranked.

The matchmaking test will run until the end of the split (June 23rd).

Improved transition screen UI to better indicate the game is still loading

Currently investigating a recent issue resulting in FPS drops, likely tied to specific CPUs.

Resolved an issue where players were able to exploit Axle's movement, resulting in an indefinite slide.

Disabling voice comms for Xbox players to investigate their contribution to a game crash.

All regions will now have 4.5 hour map rotations in Ranked to enhance map variety and player experience.

Introducing Axle, the combat racer with skills for high-skill movement and fearless play.

Conduit receives updates including dual Radiant Transfer charges and improvements to Energy Barricade jammers.

Revive squadmates directly at their deathbox with a short cast, no beacon hunting required.

Earn rewards with the new Battle Pass featuring Legendary skins and Exotic Shards.

Resolved the issues preventing players from matchmaking. Players can now join matches in all game modes without issue.

Vantage gets a new 2x canted sight on Sniper’s Mark and improved Echo Relocation mobility.

Introducing Twin Razors, dual melee weapons with rotating laser blades available in Overclocked Seasonal Packs.

Increased cooldown and decreased damage and magazine size for the Hemlok Breach AR.

Damage for the L-Star EMG increased from 19 to 20.

Introducing Twin Razors, a new Mythic Universal Melee cosmetic available in Overclocked Seasonal Packs.

Solo players will matchmake against opponents of a slightly lower skill tier to reduce the advantage of full premade squads.

Light ammo stack size decreased from 72 to 60 to balance weapon performance.

Vantage, Conduit, and Ash receive various buffs to enhance their gameplay.

Longer max queue times for higher-skill players to create tighter skill bands and reduce mismatched games.

Players can now respawn teammates directly from their Deathbox, introducing a high-risk, high-reward mechanic.

Voice chat clarity has been improved and players can adjust voice chat volumes for each squad member individually.

A brand new Legend, Axle, joins the fray with unique movement abilities.

Players can queue another healing item to automatically begin once the current healing action finishes.

Animation timing adjusted to allow respawned players to re-enter the game faster.

Players can queue another healing item while healing.

Alter's ultimate ability has been nerfed to reduce its effectiveness.

Conduit receives changes to her tactical and passive abilities to increase her pick rate.

Axle brings new movement mechanics and abilities to the game.

Players can now respawn teammates directly from their Deathboxes.

Vantage receives several buffs to improve her performance in fights.

Axle joins the Apex Games with unique abilities including Drift passive and Kickstart ultimate.

New Legend Axle comes with a mobile kit.

Players can now respawn teammates directly from their Deathboxes, introducing a new strategic element.

Updates to Conduit and Vantage legends.

New Chain Healing options allow players to queue additional healing items automatically.

A complete overhaul of the Ranked mode is planned for the upcoming season.

Vantage receives passive and tactical buffs, while Conduit’s abilities are enhanced for better playmaking.

Deathbox Respawns keep players in the fight.

RP removed for Split 2 is 2,241,416.

RP removed for Split 1 is 4,413,776.

A total of 28,267 accounts banned for various cheating infractions since April 2nd.

Current infection rate is 4.1%, down from 5.8% in December 2025.

Nearly 1000 bans specifically for DMA card use.

Total RP removed for Season 28 is 6,655,192.

Zero Strike skydive emote image displays placeholder texture.

Daily and Weekly Challenges now appropriately contribute to Battlepass progression.

Battlepass progress now extends beyond level 60, as intended.

For Drop Zone Ranked matches, we will be displaying Ranked tier distribution charts of squads, not individual players.

Game stability improvements implemented for the Switch 2

Wattson players will no longer hear Hardlight rebuilding and being destroyed as a result of her tactical/ultimate placement in the ring

We are increasing maximum queue times slightly for players at the higher end of Ranked and pubs to improve match quality.

We are testing a 4 hour Ranked map rotation schedule in East Asia for the rest of the split.

Catalyst's Toxic Empress skin now has the appropriate glow visual effects, in-match

Valkyrie's jetpack handles are no longer missing in specific scenarios

Fuse's Knuckle Cluster holder is now properly displayed

Increased horizontal and vertical recoil for the Hemlok

Wraith, while phased, will no longer be stunned by Gibraltar's electrified dome

Increased hipfire spread for the Hemlok

Reactive skins will now work as intended in and outside of the firing range

Bot Royale Evolved matches on E-District should now start as intended

Vantage's ultimate is now affected by the Vortex Shield

Wildcard event prompts are now appropriately displayed in all languages

Certain tactical and ultimate projectiles can no longer be caught by the Vortex Shield

Recap of recent server outages and implemented fixes to prevent future issues.

Storm Point rotated out due to crashes; E-District introduced as the new map.

Players granted 1 Epic Apex Pack as compensation for server issues.

Rollback of a fix for performance monitoring systems that caused server issues.

April Fools LTM is reactivated until Mon the 6th at 12pm PT.

Storm Point is temporarily removed and replaced with E-District (daytime) due to crashes on specific devices.

Horizon Skin that was previously causing crashes has been re-enabled.

Decreased magazine size across all tiers by 2.

A total of 73,591 accounts banned across all platforms for various cheating infractions.

Increased base damage to 24 (was 23).

Decreased base damage to 22 (was 23).

3,349 accounts banned on Console for cheating.

All Trophy Systems should now properly intercept Hemlok's Breach Charge.

37,051 bans for other cheating hardware/cheat detections.

70,242 accounts banned on PC for cheating.

Bans for targeted 3rd party hardware: XIM/Titan - 2,911, HWID Spoofer - 4,405, DMA - 1,103.

Removed Fast Reloads from Daredevil

Various audio stability improvements that should result in fewer instances where audio does not play, across all game modes

Reduced Thick Skin to -5 HP instead of -10

Increased max time extension for Stim Surge to 6s for Daredevil

Back Fire’s skydive trail now has all intended sound effects

Gibraltar's arm shield no longer blocks view while crouched

Various server and client crash fixes / stability improvements

Removed account badges awarded as a result of damage stats inflated by a recent Buster Rifle bug

Gibraltar shield is now appropriately hidden during the Dual Katana inspect animation

Using a Shield Cell while sliding and having the Epyon Heat Rod equipped will no longer slow your slide

New Legend Skins for Wattson, Ash, Pathfinder, Horizon, Crypto, and Gibraltar, along with new Weapon Skins.

New full-auto Hemlok with a Silencer and Breach Launcher mode.

The Aftershock Event runs from Mar 31 to Apr 21, featuring new content and gameplay changes.

New Wild Cards include Bigger and Better, Duck and Cover, Energy Efficient, Sonic Boom, Static Charge, Extra Juice, Background Process, Kinetic Converter, and Heat Signature.

Every Legend is now equipped with a Vortex Shield that can catch bullets and fire them back.

New rotating sets of rewards available in the Reward Shop from Mar 31 to Apr 21.

Wattson will no longer lose the benefits of her Energized Healer upgrade after leaving Gibraltar’s Dome of Protection.

Based on community feedback, we removed some Ranked POIs on Storm Point to improve the player experience.

Players will no longer respawn with attachments equipped

Players will no longer encounter an error that restricted access based on age verification

The skin is causing crashes and has been temporarily disabled

Season 28 Split 2 badge is now appropriately located in the BP and calibrated to the right split

Fixed a number of crashes - players should experience more stable matches

30-30 Repeater base damage increased from 41 to 43.

Base damage of the 30-30 Repeater increased from 41 to 43.

Wattson's tactical damage increased and ultimate now reinforces Hardlight meshes.

Introduction of the Hemlok Breach AR, a fully automatic silenced weapon with explosive secondary fire.

Adjustments made to in-match audio for better experience, including footstep volume adjustments.

EVA-8 shotgun receives a small buff to its reload speed.

The RE-45 Burst will permanently replace the RE-45 Auto in loot pools.

Wraith's tactical and ultimate cooldowns reduced, with increased casting speed.

Wattson's tactical deployment speed increased and new synergies with Hardlight Meshes added.

P2020 magazine size and points to unlock Hammerpoint Rounds adjusted; Prowler's burst fire delay and recoil reduced.

Gibraltar receives a new passive 'Momentum Boost' and cooldown reduction on Dome of Protection.

Gibraltar receives a momentum passive for speed boost and an electrified dome that damages and slows enemies.

Removed a dead spot for Piercing Spikes where enemies could avoid damage.

Improvements to CPU performance for map rendering and visual enhancements.

Vault keys will no longer affect the color of a deathbox.

Wraith's cooldowns are integrated into her base kit, and her ultimate cast time is sped up.

Killing dummies in the firing range now triggers all appropriate 'on knock' behavior.

10,909 accounts banned for cheating in the last week.

Bans include 245 for Xim/Titan, 402 for DMA, 300 for other cheating hardware, and 1071 for HWID Spoofers.

Three limited-edition Apex Legends-inspired Model Kits will be available for pre-order starting March 18.

Announcer will no longer state 'Buster Rifle Being Fired' incorrectly in the Firing Range

Gundam badge art will now be appropriately displayed while viewing squad teammates

Epyon's Lash has returned to Wild Card and will no longer cause crashing

Includes skins for the Buster Rifle Kraber, Destiny 99 R-99, and Aerial 301 R-301.

The Gundam event begins on March 10, featuring iconic weapons and Gundam-inspired skins.

Consolidated Wildcard into one event - Gundam Frontlines - as was initially intended.

New abilities include Epyon's Lash, Heavyarms Salvo, Zero Sacrifice, and Zero Rebirth.

Resolved an issue where the Buster Rifle was awarding 9,999 damage when hitting a player with the Bit Stave shield active.

Temporarily removing Epyon's Lash Wild Card from the Gundam Frontline Wildcard Event due to a known crash issue.

New skins tailored to Legends' personalities and lore, including Gundam Epyon for Alter and Wing Gundam Zero for Valkyrie.

Adjusted Fuse's ultimate to reduce the odds enemies won't take damage while inside the area of effect.

Reverted the duration change to Fuse's tactical to allow him to hold space longer in tight quarters.

Completing challenges now correctly unlocks Ranked.

Draw speed now matches all other weapons.

Players will no longer lose access to main tabs or have incorrect currency displays.

Choosing a controller perk now correctly reinforces Hardlight.

New rules for Drop Zones based on players' ranks.

Implemented numerous server performance optimizations to reduce FPS drops and slow motion matches.

Players are experiencing more stable matches following the optimizations.

Resolved an exploit involving Valkyrie’s Ultimate that allowed players to retain enemy highlight information improperly.

Addressed the importance of reporting vulnerabilities and the consequences of creating content around exploits.

Removed 'Fortified' from Stim Surge and reduced the speed boost given by Stim.

A detection targeting Titan cheat devices was enabled in January, resulting in over 1,000 accounts being banned.

A new detection targeting XIM cheating devices was enabled, resulting in over 2000 accounts being permanently banned.

Matches with 10+ Diamond players or 1+ Master/Predator player will have Drop Zones.

Players in Masters can now requeue as normal after initial issues.

Rank Tier Display will show individual Rank Tier in Drop Zones matches.

Hybridization of Dropship and Drop Zones in Ranked lobbies is now live.

Loading screen will display 'RANKED - DROP ZONES' for pending lobbies with Drop Zones.

Currently reviewing historical data for any other potential false positives related to bans.

Modified the rule that triggered a false positive ban related to a specific mouse, and unbanned the affected user.

Corrected the issue where currencies would display incorrectly for some players.

Reverting recent changes to Wildcard's respawn system to align with player expectations.

Resolved an issue where some players would lose access to main tabs on their home screen.

Resolved an issue where players were respawned off the map.

View Cinematic button now shows the correct cinematic.

New system utilizing Dropships and Drop Zones for Ranked matches, targeting Diamond+ players.

Players may experience a mixture of Dropship and Drop Zone matches based on lobby composition.

Completing Road to Ranked Challenges now correctly unlocks Ranked.

Players will see 'RANKED - DROP ZONES' displayed on the match loading screen if their lobby includes Drop Zones.

Reduced Swift Mend max healing from 9 to 6 and min healing from 3 to 2.

Reduced max Newt Scoot time from 5 to 2.5 and max speed from 700 to 550.

Champion Squad status now correctly resets after losing or not having the highest score.

Correct artist and creator attribution displayed on the Prize Tracker.

Removal of Backpacks and Knockdown Shields from the loot pool, tying them into the base kit.

Reworks for existing Legends planned for Seasons 30 and 31, along with an overhaul of the Legend Class system in Season 32.

Updates to Points of Interest and balancing cover placement in maps during the first half of the year.

Aiming to make power progression more impactful and streamlined in matches, slated for Season 30.

Improvements to audio systems for better threat detection and reduced audio clutter.

Ongoing commitment to improving anti-cheat systems and matchmaking integrity.

Migration to new servers for improved stability and responsiveness in online play.

Commitment to hosting two Wildcard events each season starting from Season 30.

Continuous implementation of quality of life improvements, Legend balance changes, and audio system tweaks throughout 2026.

A Skirmisher Legend in Season 29 and another in Season 32, designed to enhance squad dynamics.

A fix was issued to enhance server stability.

A quick fix was implemented to resolve a crash impacting Trios and Duos game modes.

A third-party controller with programmable inputs was removed from competition due to competitive fairness concerns.

The controller was allowed back into use after an unreleased firmware update removed non-compliant functionality.

A hole that allowed players to fall through on Broken Moon in BR and Wildcard has been patched.

Tightened validation limits to ensure player names are safely handled, preventing disruptions in matches.

Unlock 4 Legends over 4 weeks by completing weekly challenges, each rewarding 5 Battle Pass stars.

Unlock a Reactive Weapon Pack as you progress through the Milestone Reward Track, or receive 50 Exotic Shards if already collected.

Complete daily and weekly challenges to earn points and unlock Weapon Skins, Legend skins, Banner Frames, and Stat Trackers.

Celebrate 7 years in the Outlands with a Community-Made Reward Tracker and unlock up to 4 Legends permanently.

Check out the Legendary Skins in the Store Tab, available for a limited time.

Knockdown Shields removed from loot pool; White Backpack added to starter kit.

New destructible and breachable windows added to the game.

New inspect animations added for EVA 8, Peacekeeper, and Sentinel.

More granular audio customization options added for Legends and Announcer Dialogue.

Various weapons have received damage and rate of fire adjustments.

Bloodhound's abilities have been adjusted to enhance tracking and combat effectiveness.

Feeling Zippy now increases allied movement speed and acceleration on Energized Ziplines.

Catalyst's abilities have been enhanced for better competitive play.

Dynamic restrictions for Masters players in Ranked matchmaking implemented.

Max duration extension for Octane reduced from 6s to 3s.

Reviving teammates now provides diminishing returns on Evo points.

Fuse's abilities have been adjusted for better usability and effectiveness.

Power Coupling no longer gains ultimate charge on EMP scan.

Bloodhound's tactical scan duration increased by 1 second and Flock is now part of the base kit.

Catalyst's tactical is now 50% bigger, has less activation delay, and allows one additional trap placement.

Bloodhound's ultimate cooldown reduced by 90 seconds, with additional changes to activation time and duration.

Shotguns received updates including increased fire rate for EVA-8 and damage per pellet increase for Mastiff.

Catalyst's ultimate can now be deployed horizontally for better strategic placement.

Fuse's tactical now has a reduced duration and he is no longer slowed by explosive damage.

Fuse's ultimate now fires a mortar that damages enemies and creates waves of smaller explosives, with a breach mode to pierce cover.

Various adjustments made to marksman weapons including reduced damage and charge times for Bocek Bow, 30-30 Repeater, and G7 Scout.

Introducing granular customization for Legend Dialogue, Ping Dialogue, and Announcer Dialogue.

Ranked mode will revert to using the dropship for match starts, removing controlled drop zones.

Bot Royale mode updated to include 1-5 human squads and new Apex Bots, with changes to XP earning.

Fuse receives a rework with a new ultimate and changes to his tactical. Bloodhound and Catalyst also get updated kits.

Free rewards track available from February 10th to March 10th, 2026, celebrating the game's anniversary.

Destructible Hardlight Mesh windows added to Broken Moon, World's Edge, E-District, and Firing Range.

New audio customization options for Legend Dialogue, Ping Dialogue, and Announcer Dialogue.

Reduced Crypto's Ult charge gain from 10 to 5 to avoid the ability to consistently chain together Ults. Crypto will not be able to gain Ult Charge from Power Coupling for 5s after EMP.

Octane's Stim Surge will no longer auto-activate during various interactions.

Fixed an issue affecting a small number of accounts due to improper validation of authentication tokens, causing session disruptions.

Reduced max Newt Scoot time from 5 to 2.5 and max speed from 700 to 550.

Reduced Swift Mend max healing from 9 to 6 and min healing from 3 to 2.

Masters players will now have an increased maximum matchmaking wait time and will only match with players down to Diamond 3.

Matchmaking will consider the highest Ranked tier member in a premade squad.

Caustics traps no longer attach to the Trident - it was way too deadly.

Base Stim model no longer overlaps with the Stim Surge Syringe.

Valkyrie no longer gets stuck in ultimate animation when interrupted by a Trident.

When activating Stim Surge while climbing, the correct model is displayed and players will no longer be locked out of using Stim Surge.

Level up animation now display the correct level.

Fixed a boot crash on some Nvidia machines.

Stim Surge's animation now ends in alignment with the end of its effects when taking damage in the ring.

The post-game progress screen no longer displays old challenges.

Crypto's hands no longer remain stuck in front of the camera after taking damage from a Caustic trap while in Drone view.

Stim Surge's animation now ends in alignment with the end of its effects - previously was misaligned when at low health with the Daredevil upgrade.

Players are no longer able to spam the drone entering animation.

Crypto's Ult now appropriately charges from scanning enemies, even if they remain within the scan.

Increased the volume of approaching Trident - it should be much more difficult to be caught by surprise.

Players are no longer able to spam Octane's tactical when riding ziplines or ziprails with akimbo weapons equipped.

Removed ghostly green bar that appeared when Octane performed two-handed actions while using Stim Surge.

The appropriate ultimate icon is now displayed while in Crypto's drone view after selecting the Power Coupling upgrade.

Crypto's drone is no longer displayed for a fraction of a second when deploying the drone on a zipline, balloon or Evac Tower.

Damage increased by 1 for both R-301 and Flatline to improve their performance.

Increased base movement speed and reduced movement penalties for Newcastle.

New upgrades for Octane's JumpPad: Squad Rush gives Stim to teammates, and Triple Jump allows a third jump.

The Brain Freeze wild card has been removed from Wildcard due to its association with game crashes on Playstation.

Infinite Ammo Amps now compatible with Care Package weapons, including the Kraber.

Faster drone launch and interaction, allowing Crypto to pilot his drone while performing other actions.

Reverted the burst fire delay changes for the Prowler and increased bullet damage in full auto mode to 17.

Octane gains a new ability that allows him to extend his Stim and grants Fortified and Passive Healing.

EA Play members can claim the Gold Broodling Weapon Charm by launching Apex Legends by Feb 2.