Season 24: Takeover marks Apex Legends' six-year anniversary.Apex Legends Season 24: Takeover is now live, and although the latest season of Respawn's popular battle royale doesn't introduce a new playable Legend, it does feature a number of game-changing meta tweaks, from long-awaited Legend buffs to a new "Creator Commissioner" event that lets Apex Legends livestreamers take control of the game itself.But the new content doesn't stop there. Respawn recently released Season 24's patch notes, detailing Takeover's additional features (including a new, ultra-convenient type of Supply Bin called an Arsenal), along with standard seasonal changes like weapon rotations and changes to the loot pool.Keep scrolling for an in-depth look at all of the content hitting Apex Legends alongside the launch of Season 24: Takeover. Creator CommissionersV-Tuber Kaminari Qpi will close out the last two weeks of the Creator Commissioners event.As seen in the Takeover gameplay trailer, Season 24 will see four Apex Legends content creators stepping into Kuben Blisks shoes as a part of the Creator Commissioners event. Starting on February 25, Ninjayla, Oraze, Apryze, and Kaminari Qpi will "take over" the Apex Games for two weeks each, challenging players to complete in-game feats in exchange for up to 20 Apex Packs and a creator-selected Legendary-tier weapon skin.The Creator Commissioners schedule is as follows:February 25 - March 10: Ninjayla (Legendary skin: Death Ray Wingman)March 11 - 24: Oraxe (Legendary skin: The Pioneer Kraber)April 1 - 14: Apryze (Legendary skin: Bone Breaker Mastiff)April 15 - 28: Kaminari Qpi (Legendary skin: Tombstick Mastiff) ArsenalsGearing up just got a whole lot simpler.Arsenals are a new type of Supply Bin that appear in the game's standard battle royale mode. Unlike the average Supply Bin--which contains randomized loot that players may or may not actually need--Arsenals contain loot that's tailored to the weapon inside it. In addition to a weapon, Arsenals also contain ammo and the ability to upgrade whichever weapon they happen to contain, making it much easier for players to gear up and get back in the fight. Sixth Anniversary Collection EventThe Void Disruption R-301 is Apex's first-ever Mythic-tier weapon skin.Apex Legends celebrated its sixth anniversary on February 4, and Respawn is kicking off this year's festivities with a new in-game Collection Event. The Sixth Anniversary Collection Event features 36 premium cosmetic items, and also allows players to get their hands on some Heirloom Shards and the game's first-ever Mythic-tier weapon skin: the Void Disruption R-301. The event also includes a reward track full of free loot for players to unlock, including cosmetic items designed by popular Apex Legends fan artists. For more information on the Sixth Anniversary Collection Event, check out Respawn's latest blog post. LegendsThey buffed Ash.As advertised in the Takeover gameplay trailer, Season 24 includes some serious Legend buffs--mainly for Ash and Ballistic. As of Season 24, Ash's Arc Snare tactical ability is more effective, and players will have an easier time trapping their foes in the snare. Her ultimate ability, Phase Breach, now travels farther and faster, and modifications have been made to ensure its placement is more accurate. But the biggest change is Ash's new passive ability: Predator's Pursuit. This passive allows Ash to quickly dash to an enemy that's been caught in her Arc Snare, or dodge out of the way in close-quarters combat.As for Ballistic, a new Level 3 Legend Upgrade gives him twice as many Whistler charges, allowing him to overheat multiple enemy weapons in a short time frame. His ultimate ability, Tempest, now grants a speed boost, and his passive ability to carry three weapons rather than two has now been extended to include Care Package weapons, which will have infinite ammo when Tempest is active. Ballistic was already a force of nature--okay, technically he was a force of pharmaceutical engineering--but with his updated ability set, he's deadlier than ever this season.Assault-class Legends--including Ash and Ballistic--have also had their class perks tweaked for Season 24. Their perks are now as follows:Combat Reserve: Assault Legends can carry extra ammo in each ammo stack, have two additional inventory slots for ordnance, and will retain their ability to open their class-exclusive Assault Supply Bins.Stowed Reload: Stowed weapons automatically reload themselves after two seconds.Battle Surge: Breaking an enemy shield temporarily grants a speed boost, faster reloads, and highlights the enemy in question for four seconds."[Assault-class] Legends are enhanced with perks that let them worry less about their weapon economy, bring more explosive power to the table, and give them the combat edge to capitalize on one of core moments in any combat encounter: the shield break," Respawn said of the changes. WeaponsMuzzle flash has been heavily reduced.As always, a new season means changes to Apex's arsenal of weapons. But Season 24 also includes an unexpected (but certainly not unwelcome) reduction in muzzle flash for all weapons. The days of squinting in an attempt to see your target through a massive flash of particle effects are finally over, as Apex's weapons have all had their muzzle flash drastically reduced. Full details on Respawn's efforts to combat visual clutter from muzzle flash are listed below:95% less visual noise over the line of sight (sparks, smoke, glowing effects, etc.)Noise/visuals kept below line of sightSize of muzzle flashes reducedParticle count optimizedVisual noise from shell ejection reducedLingering elements (smoke, sparks, etc.) cleaned upLight toned down to avoid flickering on weapons and environment modelsGiven these changes, players should have a much easier time keeping their target firmly in their sights.As for the usual seasonal changes to the game's weapon loot pool, Season 24 sees the R-99 return to the standard loot pool, while a buffed-up version of the Peacekeeper takes its place as this season's Care Package weapon. Season 24's Legendary-tier (gold) weapon rotation features the Alternator, R-99, Wingman, 30-30 Repeater, and Rampage LMG. Gear and lootCommon, Rare, and Epic helmets are a thing of the past.In one of the biggest changes to hit Apex in recent memory, Season 24 sees the removal of low-tier helmets. Common (white), Rare (blue), and Epic (purple) helmets have been entirely removed from the game, with new, higher-tier helmets (with special gameplay effects) taking their place. The way body armor works has also changed, and players are less likely to encounter enemy squads that are fully decked-out in Mythic (red) body armor."We have taken a look at the defensive side of loot in Apex with some hefty streamlining," Respawn said of the change. "Low-tier Helmets (white, blue, and purple) have been removed, and rare high value Helmets that provide meaningful gameplay perks have been added in their place. As for Armor, you will no longer level into red tier (125 shields) at Level 4 but will instead be capped at Level 3 (100 shields). However, red shields will still be available in the form of the new Mythic Armor Upgrade Helmet."Details on the only two helmets left in the game--the Legendary-tier Gold Armor Upgrade Helmet and the new Mythic-tier Armor Upgrade Helmet--are listed below:Gold helmetReworked into Gold Armor Upgrade HelmetOffers Improved Minor Healing perk that doubles the output of Shield Cells & SyringesSets the players Armor to 100 regardless of LevelLeveling still required to unlock Legend Upgrades, but no longer affects armor while equippedNo headshot damage reductionChance to appear in Legendary Supply Bins after mid-match Supply Bin resetMythic Armor Upgrade HelmetRed tier introducedSets players armor to 125 regardless of levelLeveling is still required to unlock Legend Upgrades, but no longer affects armor while this item is equippedRed helmets offer no headshot damage reductionAppears in the Mythic Supply Bin and late game Care Packages Full patch notesSeason 24: Takeover features a multitude of surprising gameplay changes.For a detailed list of every single change Season 24 has introduced to the game, check out the Takeover patch notes, which are listed in full below:PATCH NOTESBALANCE UPDATESCare PackageR-99 returns to the floor (balance details below)Peacekeeper enters the Care Package (balance details below)Gold Weapon RotationAlternator, R-99, Wingman, 30-30 Repeater, Rampage LMGEVOMax level achievable by earning EVO is now Level 3 (Purple Armor) Red Armor no longer earnable through levelingEVO required to reach Level 3 increased to 1700 (was 1350)Dev Note: Red armor allowed for a much wider health disparity in the mid to late game which reinforced activities like farming damage on the outskirts and avoiding encounters to collect resources. By lowering the total Armor available to these actions and the levels required to earn them, you can now get end-game ready more easily and focus on what matters mostthe fight.Accelerated WeaponsAssists with an Accelerated Weapon equipped will no longer grant the extra 30% ult charge in Mixtape ModesGAMEPLAY UPDATESNEW ArsenalsThese stations provide players with easy and deterministic access to weapons and ammo of their choice.Stations across all POI's on every map with fixed locationsAmmo type provided randomizes each matchEquipped with an enhancing terminal that upgrades one weapon matching the ammo type per Arsenal Enhancing grants an upgraded attachment and provides an optic if one is missingHealingCells now take 2.5s to complete (was 3s)Syringes now take 4s (was 5s)Cells & Syringes now stack up to 6 Players now start with 4 Cells and 4 Syringes (was 2 each)Battery and Medkit spawn rates have been slightly increasedDev Note: Players will undoubtedly need to continue popping meds whenever they can with lowered max health, a universal gold helmet perk, and a ton of weapon buffs. Weve decided to shave down some of those sharp edges to make healing a little easier across the board.HelmetsWhite, blue, and purple have been removed from the loot poolPlayers no longer start with a white helmetDev Note: Finding and equipping Helmets has always been a bit lackluster in both feeling the impact of wearing one and making the potential damage output a bit murky. Removing headshot damage reduction from the game makes damage more consistent, understandable, and easier to calculate.Gold HelmetReworked into Gold Armor Upgrade HelmetOffers Improved Minor Healing perk that doubles the output of Cells & SyringesSets the players Armor to 100 regardless of LevelLeveling still required to unlock Legend Upgrades, but no longer affects armor while equippedNo headshot damage reductionChance to appear in Gold Bins after Bin ResetNEW Mythic Armor Upgrade HelmetRed tier introducedSets players armor to 125 regardless of levelLeveling is still required to unlock Legend Upgrades, but no longer affects armor while this item is equippedRed helmets offer no headshot damage reductionAppears in the Mythic Bin & late game Care PackagesDev Note: Both the new Gold and Red Helmets are designed to pull some of the passive power embedded in Legends and put it into the loot pool to create new items to chase and fight for. Theyll also create dynamic gameplay options for players to strategize which squadmates don these powerful new items.Knocked Down StateSignificantly increased crawl speed while knocked with and without knockdown shield raisedPOI Names on DropNow able to see the name and loot tier of each POI projected over the POI during first dropAlso includes Arsenal info to help drive drop choiceAMMO & ATTACHMENTSHop Ups: Hammerpoints have been removed from the loot poolGold Magazines: time to reload while stowed decreased to 2s (was 5s)Optics: 1x Holo optic has been removed from the loot poolReplicator: reduced the amount of ammo to 1 stack per weapon (was 2 stacks)WEAPONSARHavoc Rifle [Care Package]Damage increased to 21 (was 18)Headshot damage: 27Beam Shot damage increased to 70 (was 53)Beam Shot headshot damage: 105Hemlok Burst ARDamage increased to 20 (was 19)Headshot damage: 26Nemesis Burst ARDamage increased to 17 (was 16)Headshot damage: 22R-301 CarbineDamage increased to 14 (was 13)Headshot damage: 18VK-47 FlatlineDamage increased to 19 (was 18)Headshot damage: 25LMGDevotion LMGDamage increased to 16 (was 15)Headshot damage: 20L-STAR EMGDamage increased to 20 (was 18)Headshot damage: 25M600 SpitfireDamage increased to 21 (was 19)Headshot damage: 26Rampage LMGDamage increased to 30 (was 26)Headshot damage: 38Reduced the decay rate of the revved state over timeMARKSMAN30-30 RepeaterNo charge damage increased to 43 (was 39)No charge headshot damage: 69Full charge damage increased to 58 (was 53)Full charge headshot damage: 93Slightly increased projectile size at long rangeBocek Compound Bow [Care Package]Damage increased to 75 (was 70)Headshot damage: 120Fire rate slightly reducedRemoved Deadeyes Tempo passiveShattercaps damage per pellet increased to 13 (was 12)G7 ScoutDamage increased to 35 (was 33)Headshot damage: 56Fire rate slightly reducedSlightly increased projectile size at long rangeTriple TakeDamage per bullet increased to 22 (was 21)Headshot damage: 105 (all bullets)Slightly increased projectile size at long rangeDev Note: Marksman weapons sit between the mid-range arsenal and snipers, but find themselves often outclassed by one of their neighbors. Their adjustments this season should make them feel more consistent at range, improve their performance when tracking enemies, and staying on target while providing headshots without stealing the play-making potential of our snipers.PISTOLP2020Damage increased to 24 (was 21)Headshot damage: 30RE-45 AutoDamage increased to 14 (was 13)Headshot damage: 18WingmanDamage increased to 48 (was 45)Headshot damage: 72Base magazine size reduced to 5 (was 6) With added magazine - White: 6, Blue: 7, Purple/Gold: 8SMGAlternator SMGDamage increased to 18 (was 16)Headshot damage: 22C.A.R. SMGDamage increased to 14 (was 13)Headshot damage: 17Added Laser Sight barrel attachmentProwler PDWDamage increased to 16 (was 15)Headshot damage: 19R-99 SMG [Floor Loot]Damage decreased to 13 (was 14)Headshot damage: 16No longer has damage fall-offADS strafe speed normalized to other SMGsNo longer eliminates movement penalty when equippedRecoil increasedVolt SMGDamage increased to 16 (was 15)Headshot damage: 19SHOTGUNEVA-8 AutoDamage per pellet increased to 8 (was 7)No longer deals increased headshot damageMastiff ShotgunDamage per pellet increased to 16 (was 14)No longer deals increased headshot damageMozambique ShotgunDamage per pellet increased to 16 (was 15)Headshot damage: 60 (all pellets)Peacekeeper [Care Package]Damage per pellet increased to 12 (was 9)Headshot damage: 135 (all pellets)Choke speed significantly increasedFully choked blast pattern is significantly tighterPellets pierce dealing 50% damage after the first enemy hitDev Note: Shotguns are receiving a base damage increase, but losing their ability to deal increased headshot damage. They already represent incredible burst damage, but hitting those headshots create sharp output spikes thats difficult to account for. This change creates a more understandable damage landscape that encourages players to land as many pellets as possible (instead of aiming for the head and whiffing half of them). Mozambiques will retain their headshot damage as a hybrid shotgun-pistol and the Care Package version of the Peacekeeper also keeps it to really lean into that slug shotty territory.SNIPERCharge RifleBase damage unchangedHeadshot damage (min. distance): 135Headshot damage (max. distance): 198Autofire headshot damage (min. distance): 101Autofire headshot damage (max. distance): 149Limb damage reduced to 70% (was 90%)Kraber .50-Cal SniperDamage increased to 150 (was 140)Headshot damage: 210Longbow DMRBase damage unchangedHeadshot damage: 108Limb damage reduced to 70% (was 80%)SentinelBase damage unchangedHeadshot damage: 126Limb damage reduced to 70% (was 90%)Removed Deadeyes Tempo passiveDev Note: For our Snipers, weve tuned their headshot damage to be much more impactful rather than increase their base body shot damage. This is to key into their role and fantasy as precision weapons that reward patient and skilled gameplay. To hammer this home, weve reduced the amount of damage they deal to limbs. These weapons benefit greatly from well placed shots and we dont want that to change.LEGENDSAssault Class PerksNew perks: Combat Reserve, Stowed Reload, & Battle Surge (detailed above)Removed Carry Extra Ammo & Access Weapon Supply Bin perks (now integrated into Combat Reserve)Support Class PerksHeal Expert Removed: Support Legends no longer heal double with small meds or have increased movement speed while healingDev Note: The Support Class was very strong last season. The faster movement and double small med heals gave these Legends rapid combat-reset potential that made them effective skirmishers, but didnt inherently have a team-oriented feel. While this was great during the season of Support, we felt their identity was stronger as revival experts and this change will let them focus on that team-oriented specialization rather than feeling hard to kill.AshPredators Pursuit Removed ability to scan Death Boxes to reveal killers, but theyll still show on the minimap and map with info on how recently they diedNEW: press the Jump key while in the air to perform a dashArc Snare Tether plants at location of projectile on impact rather than the hit player's locationTether is slightly harder to break and no longer gets instantly broken by some abilitiesPhase Breach Range increased to 100m (was ~76m)Travel time reducedImproved reliability of placementRemoved one frame delay on placement previewNow has VFX to show max range when in placement modeUpgrades: Level 2 Murder Machine: removedOne Minute to Live: removedGreedy Snare: moved to Level 2NEW Dual Breach: adds additional ult chargeUpgrades: Level 3 NEW Ghost in the Machine: adds additional Dash chargeDev Note: Ash was overdue for some improvements to her kit to resurge her as a top Apex Predator. Many of her changes aim to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of her abilities: the improved placement, distance and speed of her Ult, and the snares tether point snagging from the projectiles point rather than her escaping target. Most notably, Ash sees the addition of a brand new movement passive - reminiscent of her titans ability of yore. Her new dash is an incredibly effective mid-combat repositioning tool or distance closer making her a more effective skirmisher when closing in on her prey or quickly out-maneuvering in a duel. We expect to see a lot of impressive Ash players rise to the top with many of her upgrades doubling her abilities this season.BallisticSling Now upgrades with Level by defaultCan now carry Crate Weapons and they will gain infinite ammo with UltWhistler Tac now has 2 chargesOverheat reaction time increased to 1.2s (was 1s)Smart Bullet on ground damage increased to 20 (was 10) This damage is now equal to the direct hit damageTempest: squad gains a speed boost when empowered by UltUpgrades: Level 2 Sling Shot: removed (integrated into base kit)NEW Killing Time: increases duration of Ult by 15sUpgrades: Level 3 Extra Bullets: doubles the number of Tac charges (was +1 charge)Quiet Time: Overheat now also silences enemy for 6sDev Note: Ballistic has had a few updates, but has never really found his footing to lead the charge. Integrating the Sling and extra bullet upgrades into his kit gives more players access to the core of the Legend while empowering his Ult with speedincreasing his natural combat effectiveness and encouraging his squad to push and engage. Allowing Ballistic to carry a Crate Weapon in his Sling has always been something weve been dubious of, but this season were taking a bold stance to let Ballistic gowell, ballistic. The increased number of Tac charges should also allow players to more freely deploy the Overheat into their combat patterns or control the field if they also opt into the lasting bullet upgrade, giving more range of play and options for Ballistic.CryptoEMP: once again destroys Gibraltars Dome of ProtectionLobaUlt back to starting at 50% chargeDev Note: This was always intended as a short term buff to help Loba shine among an all-star Support lineup. However, it messed with the delicate dance that is landing off drop, which impacted long standing 'good' player behaviors around landing near your squad, looting, and using abilities into slightly more disruptive behaviors.MaggieWrecking Ball Once again destroys Gibraltars Dome of ProtectionWill now destroy Newcastles Mobile ShieldDev Note: Were returning these hard counters to empower Maggie in this Assault-focused seasonfor now.MAPSPubsKings CanyonOlympusBroken MoonRankedKings CanyonOlympusStorm PointMixtapeFebruary 11-March 24, 2025 TDM: Thunderdome, Habitat, Skull Town, Estates, Zeus StationControl: Lava Siphon, Barometer, Labs, Caustic, ThunderdomeGun Run: Wattson, Estates, Thunderdome, Fragment, Skull TownMODESTakeover: Mythic Mayhem Royale (February 11-March 3, 2025)Ramparts new experimental care packages deliver three Mythic R-301 weapon variantsHornet (Yellow): faster movement and reload speed, Tac charge on shield break, Ult charge on knockLimelight (Green): helps replenish your squads health and shields when damaging enemiesVermilion (Red): increases critical hit damage and triggers Thermite on knocked enemiesTakeover: Redemption Trios & Duos (February 25-March 3, 2025)In collaboration with Creator Commissioner: NinjaylaRespawn Tokens are a new Mythic rarity Survival Slot item only available in this Takeover. If you are eliminated with this item in your inventory, youll immediately respawn back into the actionAt the start of the match, all players are given one Respawn TokenCollect additional Respawn Tokens from: eliminating other players, Care Packages, and Mythic Supply BinsNo respawn limit and no penalty for respawning multiple timesUsable until the start of the final ring, then any equipped Respawn Tokens will be exchanged for EVO Armor XPThey only last a short while when on the ground, so pick one up if you need one!Respawn Beacons can still be used to bring back players without Respawn TokensTakeover: Relic Weapons Trios & Duos (March 4-10, 2025)In collaboration with Creator Commissioner: NinjaylaWeapons spawn fully kittedOnly weapons on the ground are Gold and Mythic tierSights can be looted and swapped out, but all other attachments come with the weaponIncreased supply drops each round which carry two Mythic tier weapons The second Mythic weapon replaces the Evo CachesReduced Evo for scanning Care PackagesStandard Trios & DuosMarch 11-24, 2025LTM: Three Strikes Mystery Legends (March 11-24, 2025)In collaboration with Creator Commissioner: OraxeThree Strikes returns with a twist modifierMystery Legends All Legends will be selected for you before entering the Drop ShipRespawning will select a new random LegendSquads can have duplicate LegendsWith each EVO level up, youll gain all upgrades for that Level automatically and your Level will be maintained through respawnsRANKEDNEW Road to Ranked ChallengesIntroduced a new set of challenges to unlock Ranked for new players and returning players who have not yet reached the level requirement.Level 20 minimum still required to access Ranked and this is reflected as one of the challengesExisting players above Level 20 retain accessParty restrictions apply: all members must complete challenges to access RankedDev Note: The previous system of only requiring Level 20 was very prone to abuse by third-party bots, and could also be achieved by players who preferred Mixtape or LTMs. This new system will ensure that all new players joining Ranked have done the required work in BR matches and tested their mettle to a sufficient level to earn a spot in the competition.SYSTEMNEW Bot Royale TutorialNotes will appear to assist with Legends, weapons, loot, and gameplay scenariosLow ammo or health items also receive prompts to ping nearby desired loot itemsOn by default for accounts below Level 20 and will turn off once that threshold is reached Can be manually turned on/off through the System menu under Tutorial SystemsWeapon MasteryTrial simplification Re-designed all trialsRemoved weapon level restriction for trialsDev Note: The current Weapon Mastery system presented some issues, including overly complex gating mechanics that disrupt progression, trials demanding high player skill levels, and excessive reliance on randomness that can slow or stall progress. These new trials remove unnecessary randomness, shifting the focus back to the essence of weapon usage: dealing damages and eliminating enemies. If youve already completed trials and earned rewards they will remain unaffected. If your trials were partially completed or 90% done, no problem! Your progress will be converted, no need to start over.BUG FIXESFixed an issue where the Mythic Bin could become merged with a Gold BinFixed more firing range realm spawning issues: Thermite VFXMaggie ball bouncing off of invisible doorsMirage decoys getting stuck on invisible doorsFixed rare issue that could prevent the ring VFX and other particles from spawningMixtape: swapping to secondary akimbo weapons from loadouts will no longer play the first draw animationPK will no longer occasionally lock up after using the ChokeRechamber times can no longer be bypassed on the Sentinel and PK by swapping attachmentsReactive weapons will no longer lose their reactive state after swappingSquadmate animations once again play during Legend selection"View upgrades" button in Legend locker will no longer take you to friends listLEGENDSAlter / Ash / Wraith: Void Vision (enemy highlighting) no longer applies on enemy portalsAlter: Upgrades Tactical Cooldown+ and Void Vision returned to correct tier placementsLifelineCrashing will no longer occur when gliding or using the D.O.C. Heal DroneGliding will no longer occasionally lower performancePathfinder grapple can once again attach to D.O.C. HaloMirageFixed a crash that could occur when using Mirage's Ult near Gravity CannonsLifelines D.O.C. now cloaks properly to prevent revealing Mirage (previous hotfix)Newcastle: Ult no longer canceled by Ashs snareRevenantResolved rare crash that could occur when pouncingShadow Pounce now plays leap audio when spectating a RevenantWattson: fixed upgrade that was allowing the placement of two interception pylonsValkyrie: Tac now working inside of D.O.C. Halo and near Dome of Protections edgesVantage: sprinting no longer available while using Ult AccelerantQUALITY OF LIFEAdded further hardening to prevent hipfire cheatsAdded Account Level details Info about your Account Level progress and rewards granted at each future levelAccessed via Lobby (top left), also displays XP bar and level progressAdjustments to Match Summary XP Gain, Challenge, and Pass progression added to end of match flowSquad Summary section now picks from a small set of stats instead of always showing Revives, Respawns, and Time Survived for unranked Duos and TriosMixtape: disabled assist Ult gain with accelerated weapons which allowed for some Ults to be used too quicklyReactive skins now show their effects in the lobby menusSome Rat Spots have been eliminated across all mapsAI Bots: Cover and PeekingCan now use geometry in the environment as coverCan also utilize peeking behavior to provide more of a challengePlethora of bug fixes across all parts of the Bot experienceImprovements and tuning on Easy and Normal difficulty Bots (E1 - N3 Difficulty)AUDIOAdded Mono output option for players with limited hearing Mono audio combines left and right sound channels into one, making it easier for players with hearing impairments to hear all audio cues. It ensures no important sounds are missed, regardless of ear or stereo positioning.Friendly footsteps volume and audible distance reducedFriendly skydive volume reduced to allow for strategizing during drop (enemy volumes unchanged)Increased importance for zipline attach/detach and doors to ensure they are heard more consistentlyReduced volume of squadmate and ambient audio while enemies are being revivedReduced volume for Fuse's Tac and UltReduced volume for Survey Beacons and Ring Consoles for self and squadmates (enemy volumes unchanged)Dev note: Audio can be crucial whether youre the squad attacking or the one being attacked. Weve adjusted multiple audio cues to assist with combat effectiveness, and have a few more initiatives in the works to optimize audio throughout the match.GRAPHICSImproved CPU rendering performance on all consolesDX12 (PC)Changed the way that ultrawide monitors handle 16:9 and 16:10 resolutions in full-screen mode. They will now have pillarboxing (black borders on left and right) and no stretching. This behavior can be disabled with +mat_wide_pillarbox 0 launch argument, if stretching is desired.CPU rendering performance improved 5%-10% (situation based) and some frame drops may be reducedAdded a launch argument +mat_minimize_on_alt_tab 1 that allows behavior similar to DX11 where tabbing away from/clicking out of the fullscreen game causes Apex to minimizeImproved loading performance after compiling shaders for the first time (up to 30% faster on some systems). Note that shaders always need to be pre-loaded to minimize gameplay stuttering.Added a launch notification for players with incompatible GPUs that DX11 support will be discontinued.