And just like that, a new season of Apex Legends is almost here. Upheaval promises to be a spicy one with new legend Alter, huge changes coming to Broken Moon, buffs and nerfs to legends and weapons, and more.
The new legend and map changes undoubtedly steal the show, but there are more than enough balance changes to sink your teeth into here if you like to know all the nuts and bolts behind the game you play. From Crypto buffs to new gameplay mechanics, here’s what you can expect from the new season of Apex.
Apex Legends Upheaval patch notes
New legend: Alter
Alter is the newest legend entering the games, with an ability kit revolving around her tactical: Void Passage. Alter can open a portal through surfaces up to 20 meters deep for anyone to use, and this portal can be used both horizontally and vertically. She complements that tactical with her passive, Gift from the Rift, which allows her to swipe an item from a death box remotely, and the Void Nexus ultimate, which allows her and her teammates to phase back to a regroup point she previously set up.
Alter’s full ability kit should really shake up Apex’s traditional play, making several choke points and buildings opportunities to surprise campers rather than death traps waiting to happen.
Broken Moon map update
One of the more polarizing maps in recent history, Broken Moon is getting a massive update that changes several POIs as well as the skybox, flora and fauna, and even the game’s lore. The centerpiece of the changes is the new Quarantine Zone POI that replaces the old Promenade, but that’s far from the only POI being changed here.
New POIs in the Broken Moon update include:
- Quarantine Zone
- Breaker Wharf (moved to the other side of the map and updated)
- Space Port
- Cliff Side (mini POI)
- Solar Pods
- Underpass (mini POI)
- Experimental Labs
In addition to the new POIs, there are also several new rotation options, new passageways opened up through mountains, and more.
Legend buffs and nerfs
The big winner of the buffs and nerfs cycle is Crypto, with new upgrades that can improve drone speed and handling, longer drone scan persistence, and reduced cooldown times. On the other hand, Bloodhound is getting something of a nerf after they dominated the ALGS Split One Playoffs with an increase in their ultimate cooldown time from three minutes to four (albeit with some smaller compensating buffs via upgrades).
Other legends getting changes include Ash, Ballistic, Catalyst, Caustic, Conduit, Fuse, Newcastle, Octane, Wattson, and Wraith.
Weapon changes
For a general change to kick things off, the Skullpiercer is being removed from the loot pool entirely, while the Wingman moves out of the care package with corresponding nerfs to hipfire accuracy and an inability to receive extended mags, while the Devotion goes into the care package with a damage buff and interesting “reverse hipfire” recoil pattern that actually tightens the longer it’s hipfired.
Other guns receiving buffs include the Charge Rifle, the Longbow, and the Triple Take. Finally, the Digital Threat is being removed from the loot pool.
Game system changes
A couple of quick hits that will surely be popular with players include:
- Players can now hold the interact button to retrieve their teammate’s banner and go into their death box inventory at the same time, without an animation.
- If you do not have a gun, the first loot bin you open is guaranteed to spawn a weapon for you.
- Survival items in Support loot bins will now only spawn “if the team is in need.”
More bug fixes, general improvements, and information on Mixtape modes and Solos is also available in the full patch notes. Season 21 of Apex, Upheaval, lands on May 7.
