An update for the competitive shooter Apex Legends will roll out today that addresses some major issues fans have been requesting since Season 9: Legacy released. The update buffs legends Wattson and fixes issues with Valkyrie, and also introduces a penalty for players who leave Arenas matches early. The update also fixes loot distribution in Apex Legends' original Battle Royale game mode, specifically for backpacks and level 2 Evo armor.
Wattson has been among the ranks of the lowest-picked legends for quite some time, although she boasts one of the highest win rates of any legend. A bug present in the game since at least the beginning of May made her tactical fences useless, as they no longer slowed down or stunned enemies. In this update, the ability to slow down enemies will return to Wattson's fences, making her tactical much more effective. Several bugs related to Valkyrie's ultimate were fixed, too, including one that was the basis for an exploit in Apex Legends' Firing Range.
Additionally, the update introduces a penalty for players who abandon games in Apex Legends' new Arenas game mode. Throughout the entirety of Season 9: Legacy, players have been able to leave Arenas matches without any consequence. Now, players who abandon Arenas matches will receive the same penalty players receive for abandoning games in the Ranked Battle Royale game mode. This new penalty doesn't apply to players in the same party as a leaver, and the game will flash a warning on-screen when the penalty will apply.
Changes to Wattson's tactical and Arenas leaver penalties are some of the most highly-requested changes in the Apex Legends community. Respawn also addressed the problems of loot variety in the Battle Royale game mode, as throughout the season backpacks and other items had been spawning far less frequently. To address this, Respawn adjusted the logic for spawning loot items on the ground, which should theoretically make backpacks more common outside of loot bins.
Other minor updates include updates to backpacks and Evo shields in Battle Royale, an increase in Arenas survival time XP, and an update to the hop-up progression for the Bocek. Level 2 Evo shields should be more common after fixing spawn rates related to Starter Kits. Respawn will be temporarily increasing the XP received for time alive in Arenas to combat a bug that doesn't count the initial buy period as survival time. The Bocek, in Arenas, will now get the Shattercaps hop-up at level 2, and the Deadeye Tempo hop-up at level 3, instead of the other way around.
Apex Legends is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox X|S.