Respawn has introduced a sizable update for Apex Legends, marking the midpoint of Season 26. Despite multiple smaller patches throughout the season, this latest update features significant balance changes that may alter the game’s meta.
Known as Showdown, Season 26 has brought numerous enhancements to the Outlands. Without introducing a new Legend this time, Respawn has enhanced the abilities of certain characters while revising the weapon selection. A new game mode called Wildcard has also been introduced, adding a unique twist to the battle royale gameplay.
This mid-season update, which launched on September 16, includes extensive adjustments to characters and weapons. Notably, Ash received nerfs meant to tone down her dominance, as she continues to be the top-picked character in Apex Legends. Adjustments include a longer cooldown on her dash and increased ease of breaking her Arc Snare ability. Caustic and Sparrow also faced nerfs, aimed at reducing the effectiveness of some of their skills.
Seer and Mad Maggie received substantial changes as well, with Seer experiencing a comprehensive revamp of all abilities to enhance in-combat power and character enjoyment. Mad Maggie’s skills have been modified for increased reliability and utility for her team, benefiting from new Level 2 upgrades.
In addition to character changes, the update also modified the Apex Legends weapon pool. Several new firearms received Locked Hop-Ups, while points to unlock them were raised. Furthermore, the gold magazines now take longer to reload automatically while stowed. Noteworthy nerfs were applied to the Devotion and Wingman, while the Bocek experienced improvements. Additional adjustments to the RE-45 were announced in a follow-up tweet by the developer.
As the season progresses, it will be intriguing to see how these updates affect the game’s meta. The Wild Iron Event also emerged from the update, featuring significant changes to Wildcard, including a Mythic Flatline and new Wild Cards. Only time will tell if these changes will retain player engagement for the remainder of the season.
