Summary
- A new Apex Legends update fixes voice and text chat issues in lobbies.
- The D.O.C. For Lifeline no longer reveals a cloaked Mirage.
- The update includes a fix for the VFX for Reactive skins.
Respawn Entertainment released a new update for Apex Legends, fixing some issues in the battle royale game. The scale of this update pales compared to the mid-season patch from January 7, but it should improve the gameplay experience for some Apex Legends players.
After a relatively muted launch for Season 23 compared to some previous seasons, the last few weeks have been big for the game. Specifically, the recent mid-season update looked to inject some new life into the battle royale experience, bringing buffs and nerfs for various Legends and weapons. Shortly after that massive update, Apex Legends received another patch to fix some frustrating issues in the game.
Why Apex Legends Shouldn't Walk Back Its Support Changes
Apex Legends' Season 23 led to a meta strongly in-favor of Support-class Legends, one that Respawn shouldn't be quick to roll back.
According to Respawn, a new update has been applied to the battle royale on January 16. Among the list of changes, several lobby issues were resolved, including voice and text chat not working as intended and visual issues related to PC lobbies. The update also fixed a gameplay issue where Lifeline’s Tactical drone would reveal Mirage when he was cloaked. This was a potentially big deal since Mirage's cloaking ability was buffed in the mid-season update, and Lifeline is currently one of the most-picked Legends in the game. This meant the potentially game-ruining situation could pop up rather frequently before the fix.
Beyond these changes, the new update addressed problems with some cosmetics in Apex Legends. Based on the patch notes, reactive skins should now work as intended, as there previously was a bug causing the VFX not to display correctly after switching guns. The developer also revealed that the Attrition G7 Scout skin has been temporarily removed from the game. Unfortunately, a return date was not noted, as a bug is being dealt with.
While these smaller updates are good news for players experiencing problems, the community is also looking forward to what Respawn has coming down the pipeline. While fans still have approximately a month until the release of Season 24 of Apex Legends, Respawn recently unveiled some of its more immediate plans. On January 21, Apex Legends is crossing over with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth in the form of the Lunar Rebirth Collection Event. It will bring returning cosmetics themed around the Square Enix game and a Prestige skin for Alter. In addition, Materia Hop-Ups are coming back in Rift Relics and the Buster Sword R2R5 is making a return.
Hopefully, these future changes will improve the experience for players who have become discontent with the current state of Apex Legends. With the game's player count declining on platforms like Steam in recent months, the developer is looking for ways to draw players back.
Apex Legends January 16 Update - Patch Notes
- Voice and text chat not working while in a lobby is now resolved.
- D.O.C. No longer reveals a cloaked Mirage.
- Fixed an issue where VFX on Reactive Skins wasn't displaying correctly after swapping weapons.
- Resolved some visual issues in PC lobbies.
- Temporarily removed the Attrition G7 Scout Skin due to a bug.
Apex Legends
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 74%
- Released
- February 4, 2019
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Respawn Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Engine
- Source on console/PC, Unreal Engine 4 on mobile
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS4, Switch & Xbox One
WHERE TO PLAY
Conquer with character in Apex Legends, a free-to-play* Hero shooter where legendary characters with powerful abilities team up to battle for fame & fortune on the fringes of the Frontier.
Master an ever-growing roster of diverse legends, deep tactical squad play, and bold new innovations that go beyond the Battle Royale experience—all within a rugged world where anything goes. Welcome to the next evolution of Hero Shooter.
This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items, including a random selection of virtual in-game items.
- Cross Save
- Cross Progression lets you share your game progress across PC, PlayStation®, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- Platform(s)
- PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, iOS, Android, Switch
- Genre(s)
- Battle Royale, First-Person Shooter
- X|S Optimized
- yes
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
