Apex Legends Patch Notes, 5/11/21 Season 9 Updates
Well, that didn’t take long. Season 9’s immense drop has done incredibly well for Apex Legends, and the new content has set the bar pretty damn high for the game’s content to come. But, after some fan feedback (which to be fair, has been pretty well-tempered), the first patch is in, and with it comes some big nerfs. For those of you who picked up and started loving the Boeck Bow, adjust your expectations now.
The updates were announced last night on Respawn Entertainment’s Twitter account, and it outlines each of the changes coming today. The patch is being rolled out in two separate updates, one coming this morning, and another later this afternoon.
Apex Legends Season 9 Patch: Update One
The first patch comes at 10am this morning [May 12th], and offers some big changes to the PT server and client.
Logins & Lobbies
An error has been amended that kept players from logging in, citing that “array index 1 is out of range”. The notorious blobby player models have now been eradicated from the lobby, which will cause dismay for some. Farewell blob legends, we hardly knew ye.
The problem caused by switching between Arenas and Battle Royale stats has been patched, and the image that advertises the Valkyrie bundle will now actually take you to the store page.
Click to enlargeValkyrie
Of course, the new heroes needed a couple of changes, primarily with her passive ability. Her passive ability will no longer detect players who are not alive or in spectator mode. And for now, her passive’s effect on Bloodhound has been disabled. Respawn indicate it’s a temporary measure to fix stability issues, likely due to their Eye of the Allfather Tactical ability, but it’s set to be readdressed later on down the line.
Arenas
Some bugs have been fixed in the new Arenas mode, which fans have been loving so far. Oversights in development are now being remedied, as matches will now end if the entire enemy team has left the game. The game mode will also track “time survived” more accurately and consistently, and the bug that loads the “Apex Legends” screen transition with incorrect textures has been fixed.
Along with this comes some general stability improvements, but that’s your lot for the first update. The real changes come with update two, coming this afternoon [May 12th]…
Click to enlargeApex Legends Season 9 Patch: Update Two
A rock on the Phase Runner Arenas map has been patched, now keeping players from hiding inside the environment of the map, thankfully. But that’s not the biggest deal this patch has yet to offer. Prepare yourself, LMG fans…
Spitfire Nerfs
After a little while of complaints, the Spitfire LMG has been nerfed. Its per-bullet damage has been reduced by 1, bringing it from 19 to 18. Plus, its legendary and epic-grade extended mag size has been reduced from 55 to 50. It’s a change that’s gonna upset a lot of players, but for many, it was a necessary one.
Click to enlargeBoeck Bow Nerfs
And of course, the immediate balancing of the new Boeck Bow arrives - and there’s a lot of changes to note. Its max charge body shot damage has been stripped back from 70 to 60, and the charge-up time has increased a pinch from 0.54 to 0.56 seconds. With this timing change comes a change to Deadeye’s Tempo, its charge up time increasing from 0.32 to 0.38 seconds.
Plus, its ammo capacity has changed too. Its stack size has decreased to 14 from 6, and its inventory slot count has decreased from 48 to 28. They’re some big changes, but we’ll have to wait and see if this truly balances the new weapon.
That’s everything to expect from the upcoming updates for Apex Legends. Fingers crossed they keep the game balanced and stable, because we’re not sure fans can take any heavier nerfs.
Images via Respawn Entertainment