Apex Legends Season 9: Legacy is just around the corner, and now we finally have full patch notes for the big update that will land on May 4 from EA and Respawn. This update is going to change a number of things about the game, introducing brand new modes, a new Legend, a new weapon, and dozens of balance changes across the cast and armoury.

Related: Apex Legends: Legacy - Arenas, Valkyrie, Lifeline Tweaks, Olympus Changes, And Everything From Our Hands-On

We’ve collated all the big changes and linked to extra information about each in this guide, and you can see the full list of changes for yourself on EA’s site. Just scroll down below for all of the important points, and get ready to jump into Arenas on May 4. Below is a breakdown for patch 1.67.

Arenas

Apex Legends Lifeline nerf

Arenas is clearly the biggest part of the new update, introducing a new 3v3 PVP mode which will be a part of the game permanently from now on. Arenas will see you selecting your ideal Legend before a match, and then spending crafting metals to purchase weapons and items before each round begins.

This mode can be used either as a Battle Royale warm-up, or a dedicated competitive mode. Respawn also plans to introduce Ranked Arenas in the future, as mentioned in our interview with the team. For more on the Arenas mode, see our Apex Legends Season 9: Legacy preview.

Arenas Maps

Arenas is a much smaller-scale battle than the Battle Royale, and that’s why there are two brand new maps to enjoy.

Party Crasher

Apex Legends Party Crasher

The Party Crasher is just what it sounds like - the Mirage Voyage, the party boat named after the Legend himself, has crash-landed in a city district, and this area has now become a place where Legends face off against one another. This map has long sightlines in addition to smaller buildings to fight in.

Phase Runner

Apex Legends Phase Runner

Phase Runner is where you’ll find a prototype version of the large Phase Runner teleporter you can find on Olympus. The two sides of the map here either have a working teleporter which will deliver you to the fight quickly, or a broken down one, which will see you using the environment to get around and shoot down your enemies. The centre, meanwhile, is an open woodland area, perfect for snipers to watch over.

You will also be able to play in three locations from the BR maps, Artillery, Thermal Station, and Golden Gardens.

New Legend - Valkyrie

Apex Legends Season 9

We have a full introduction to Valkyrie right here, and some more information on her abilities here, but the basic information you need to know is that she is the daughter of Titanfall 2’s Viper, and her abilities mimic those of Viper’s Northstar Titan. Her flight and missile abilities can be used in a variety of ways, and she’ll be able to navigate hazardous maps like Olympus in ways other Legends simply can’t.

New Weapon - Bocek Bow

Apex Legends new weapon bow

The Bocek Bow is the big new weapon being added to the game, and it is suitably deadly. The Bocek Bow is not only an excellent Marksman-class weapon, but it has two hop-ups it can use. The longer you draw your arrow for, the harder and faster it will hit. You’d think this would make it inconvenient for close-range play, but that’s where the hop-ups come in.

Hop-Ups

The first hop-up is the Shatter Caps, which will fire arrows that split into a shotgun-like blast pattern. This hop-up will also work with the 30-30 Repeater.

The next new hop-up is Deadeye’s Tempo, which increase the fire rate dramatically. This is what makes the Bocek viable at close range. This hop-up will also work with the Sentinel sniper rifle, which currently has a notoriously slow fire rate.

The Hammerpoint and Skullpiercer hop-ups have been removed to make space for these new items.

Olympus Map Update - The Lost Fleet

Apex Legends Olympus tweaks

You may have already noticed ships in the sky converging on Olympus, and they’re not bringing anything nice. The Lost Fleet has arrived, and they’ve brought a deadly alien plant that has taken root on Olympus and overrun the map, spawning giant vines that block off routes and sightlines. You will also be able to visit the new alien ship that has landed. Find a Bridge Key, and you’ll be able to find rare loot in the Bridge.

Loot Changes - Basic White Equipment Removed From Loot Pool

apex-legacy-patch-notes-starting-gear-loc.jpg.adapt.1456w
via EA, Respawn

We reported on this earlier in the week, but white basic equipment has been removed from the loot pool. You will now start each game with a starter kit that consists of the following:

  • White helmet
  • White knockdown shield
  • White body armor
  • Syringe x2
  • Shield cell x2

White helmets and white knockdown shields are now totally removed from the loot pool, meaning you won’t find them on the floor. White body armor, meanwhile, is now far, far less common, but still available to find in case of emergencies. Weapons, grenades, heal items, and ammo will be more common instead.

Emotes

Every Legend now has emotes. You will get one emote for each Legend automatically, with more available in Apex Packs and through the Battle Pass. You go third-person to view emotes, but you will not be able to move the camera, preventing you from using it to peek around walls.

Related: Apex Legends Season 9 Removes White Equipment From The Loot Pool

Legend Balance Changes

There are a lot of balance changes happening to the Legends, so here are the highlights.

Low Profile Removed

Low Profile, which would increase incoming damage by 5% and count leg shots the same as body shots, has been removed from the game entirely, freeing Lifeline, Wraith, and Wattson from the curse.

Lifeline

The Combat Revive ability no longer deploys a shield, but can revive two players at the same time. The revive is cancelable, allowing players to use their knockdown shield in an emergency. The DOC Drone heal rate has been increased considerably, which is nice. The Care Package Ultimate contents now depend on what loot you currently have equipped, guaranteeing some kind of upgrade depending on what loot your team is carrying when it arrives. These changes follow complaints that Lifeline was “boring.

Octane

Stim cooldown has been reduced to just one second, but the health cost has been nearly doubled, from 12HP to 20HP. Bullet spread has also been increased while airborne or using a Jump Pad.

Loba

Yes, Loba’s Bracelet has been fixed. In fact, Loba can now run and slide at normal speed after throwing the bracelet, which will make Loba mains feel much safer. The Black Market Boutique Ultimate cooldown has been increased by a third, though.

Horizon

Horizon has had a fairly big nerf, with her Gravity Lift speed reduced by 30%, strafe speed on the lift reduced, and reduced the amount of time you can stay on top of it to just two seconds. That’s all in addition to a five-second cooldown increase. Rough.

Fuse

Fuse has two uses of Knuckle Cluster now, in addition to a reduced cooldown.

Bangalore

Bangalore’s thin smoke has been thickened, becoming more opaque.

Crypto

Crypto can now scan and open care packages to investigate their contents before your team comes out of hiding.

Weapon Balance Changes

apex legends season 9 wattson

There are more weapon changes than Legend changes, so let’s make this brief…

Marksman Class Weapons

The Bocek Bow is now in a new class of weapon, the Marksman class, and it is joined there by the G7-Scout, 30-30 Repeater, and the Triple Take. Movement speed while ADSing has been improved for these weapons, making ADS move speed slower than assault rifles, but faster than sniper rifles.

Supply Drop Weapon Changes

The Peacekeeper is back as normal floor loot, and the Triple Take is instead in the Supply Drop. Both weapons have had their stats changed and updated accordingly, and are detailed below.

Peacekeeper

Precision Choke is on by default, can be toggled off. Pellet spread has been increased, with damage nerfed slightly. Reload and rechamber speeds are also higher, meaning it won’t be as powerful as the Season 8 version of the weapon.

Triple Take

The inverse of the Peacekeeper - this has been buffed everywhere except for a slight fire rate increase.

Havoc

Recoil reduced when you first begin shooting. Headshot damage reduced.

30-30 Repeater

Increased leg damage multiplier, move speed increased.

G7-Scout

Move speed increased, hipfire accuracy decreased.

Longbow & Wingman

Both have had increased headshot damage since the Skullpiercer is no longer available.

Mozambique

The Hammerpoint Rounds may be gone, but this weapon now has 6 shots in a clip, and the spread has been reduced, making it more deadly at range. This should hopefully save you on drop.

P2020

Fire rate has been lowered to bring mouse and controller players more in line with one another, and the bullet damage has been increased.

Arc Stars

Movement slow from a stick has been removed. I’m heartbroken.

Apex Legends Patch 1.67

Apex Legends Valkyrie abilities

The Apex Legends patch 1.67, which brings the game up to date for Season 9: Legacy, is now available on PlayStation platforms, and will be available across all platforms very soon. Check our timezone guide to see when the new season launches.

Next: Apex Legends Interview: Season 9, Valkyrie, Arenas, Olympus Infestation, And More