A new update for Apex Legends has been released, nerfing the RE-45 Elite and changing the spawn rate of Evo Harvesters. While the launch of Season 26 has brought some substantial changes to Apex Legends, the developers are still looking to balance some of the game’s weapons in subsequent patches.
Among the changes made in Season 26 was the introduction of Elite Weapons for Apex Legends. These guns aim to put a new spin on classic firearms, replacing the originals for a limited time. So far, Respawn has only introduced a burst variant of the RE:45, but its rework is making an impact on the battlefield. The Elite variant swaps in Energy ammo and introduces a spin-up mechanic, similar to the Havoc. The pistol has become a popular pick, but the developer thinks its effectiveness might need to be reined in.
As part of a new update released on August 25, Respawn has nerfed the RE:45 Elite. Specifically, the magazine size of the pistol has been reduced by 3 for all tiers. In addition, changes were made to the recoil and bullet projectile size to make using the RE:45 Elite more challenging. However, it remains to be seen if players deem the changes substantial enough to go with other options in combat.
Beyond the RE:45 Elite nerfs, the update changed the spawn rate of Evo Harvesters across all of Apex Legends’ battle royale maps. According to the patch notes, the number of Evo Harvesters has been increased from ~7 to ~10. In addition, Respawn reduced the chances of two Evo Harvesters appearing in a single location. These changes come after the developer reworked the feature at the beginning of Season 26. Respawn initially intended to make Harvesters more valuable by increasing the Evo collected, but also decreasing the number on the map. However, it appears the original reduction was overdone.
The community response to the changes has been positive, with many players praising the update on Twitter. However, some were disappointed to see that no new changes were made to Ash. The Skirmisher class Legend has remained the most popular character in the game for months, and many players believe more changes need to be made to her kit.
Fortunately, it appears Respawn will continue to make changes to the Apex Legends meta throughout the remainder of Season 26. Time will tell what other balance changes the development team decides to make to the game’s various Legends and weapons based on fan feedback.
Apex Legends August 25 Update – Patch Notes
Heads up, legends. We pushed an update to @PlayApex just now for the RE-45 and Evo Harvesters to make the following changes:
RE-45 Elite:
- Reduced magazine size by 3 at all tiers, including the base tier.
- Increased horizontal and vertical recoil.
- Projectile size reduced to match other pistols.
Evo Harvesters on all maps:
- Increased the spawn rate of Evo Harvesters from ~7 to ~10 per map.
- Reduced the likelihood of multiple Harvesters spawning in a single POI.
Apex Legends
8/10
- Released
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February 4, 2019
- ESRB
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T for Teen: Blood, Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Electronic Arts
- Engine
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Source on console/PC, Unreal Engine 4 on mobile
