Apex Legends: updates and patch notes, week of 2026-10-05

Catch up on 5 source-checked Apex Legends updates, with links to the original announcements.

Apex Legends update fixes Steam settings resets

Apex Legends’ October 2 update fixes a Steam issue that reset settings after relaunching and lowers two reduction benefits.

• Steam players with affected installation or folder setups should no longer have settings reset each time they relaunch.
• The reload-time reduction benefit has been lowered from 35% to 25%.
• The consumable-use-time reduction benefit has been lowered from 50% to 25%.

Original announcement (2026-10-02)

Apex Legends moves PC anti-cheat to EA Javelin

Apex Legends is set to switch its PC anti-cheat system to EA Javelin Anticheat on September 29, 2026. PC players will be prompted to update the game, after which the announcement says migration happens automatically on launch.

• The PC anti-cheat system is scheduled to change to EA Javelin Anticheat on September 29, 2026.
• PC players will receive a game-update prompt, and launching after installation automatically migrates them to the new system.

Original announcement (2026-09-24)

Apex Legends ends two Ranked matchmaking tests

Apex Legends will not keep its one-tier Ranked party restriction or its high-skill solo-queue requirement. The announcement says additional Ranked changes informed by the tests are planned for Seasons 31 and 32, with details promised in October.

• The one-tier party restriction, which limited teammates to within one tier rather than two, will not be made permanent.
• The high-skill solo-queue experiment will not become a permanent requirement for Ranked lobbies.
• The announcement says its largest follow-up changes are planned for Ranked Seasons 31 and 32.

Original announcement (2026-09-30)

Apex Legends fix targets Ballistic crash exploit

An Apex Legends anti-cheat update says a Ballistic Sling passive exploit that could crash matches has been fixed. The announcement also says one suspected user received a permanent ban and other involved accounts are being actioned.

• The announcement says the exploit was used to intentionally crash game servers and has been fixed.
• It says the issue involved duplicating weapon optics through Ballistic’s Sling passive, which could overload a server and crash the lobby.
• The announcement says the suspected user was permanently banned, with action planned against all accounts found using the exploit.

Original announcement (2026-10-01)

Apex Legends update reduces Nitro Gate and Fighter power

Apex Legends’ October 1 update reduces Nitro Gate movement benefits and disables aim assist for affected players. Apex KO also lowers Fighter defense and reduces the stored Ult charges for Ryu, Chun-Li, and Dhalsim.

• Nitro Gate users have 25% less lateral control while sliding.
• Aim assist is disabled for players affected by Nitro Gate.
• In Apex KO, Fighter damage reduction fell from 55% to 50%.
• Ryu, Chun-Li, and Dhalsim can store two Ult charges instead of three.

Original announcement (2026-10-02)

This digest collects AI-assisted briefs checked against their linked sources. It does not add unsourced analysis or new claims.