Apex Legends Cipher Patch Notes: Akimbo Wingman, Strongholds and Crypto Rework

Akimbo Wingman

Looting a second Wingman automatically puts you into Akimbo mode. The weapons can be found in ground loot or at Heavy Arsenals.

Changes to the Wingman:

• Ammo type moves from Sniper Ammo to Heavy Ammo.
• It takes Heavy Magazines instead of Sniper Magazines.
• It spawns on Heavy Ammo Arsenals instead of Sniper Ammo Arsenals.
• Base damage drops from 50 to 45.

In Akimbo mode, the headshot multiplier falls to 1.25x, for 56 headshot damage. Rate of fire rises slightly, but reload time and recoil both increase. Magazine size is doubled.

Each gun fires one after the other in a quick burst. Holding the trigger releases further bursts.

Strongholds

Strongholds are locked, bunker-style structures that airdrop near the mid game alongside Care Packages and Replicators. They deploy dynamic cover and hold valuable loot.

Airdrop timing has been updated:

• Two Care Packages drop during Round 1 closing.
• One Care Package drops during Round 2 closing.
• One Stronghold drops during Round 2 closing.

A Stronghold crushes and kills players and objects beneath it when it lands. If there is enough space, it deploys up to four indestructible barriers and two Hardlight frames.

Until captured, a Stronghold cannot be entered. Loba cannot steal from it and Alter cannot breach it.

To capture one, a team must control the surrounding zone:

• Progress builds only when one team is alive in the zone.
• More than one team in the zone makes the capture contested.
• Progress is shared globally and cannot decay.
• Progress is faster with multiple teammates present.
• Whichever team is in the zone at 100% is the capturing team.

On capture, the doors and roof hatch open. Each living member of the capturing team gets a level up. Loot is one Care Package weapon, three Gold Guns, three Amps and two Corrupted Attachments.

Crypto buffs

The developer note says Crypto often camps in his drone instead of fighting with his team. The changes aim to encourage a more aggressive drone style while keeping him with his squad.

• Passive: The Ally.MoveTo( ) speed boost toward teammates is now in the base kit, though the boost is slightly reduced.
• Tactical: The drone runs on a 25-second battery before being recalled. Recall takes 6 seconds, and it can be redeployed with no cooldown. Handling and speed are increased.
• Marking: Enemies in line of sight can be scanned and marked. Marking has a 4-second cooldown, and marks last 8 seconds. An already-marked enemy cannot be re-marked.
• Scan zone: It is now 360 degrees and no longer scans loot bins and doors.
• Ultimate: While piloting, press Ultimate (Y on console) to trigger the EMP. Without a piloted drone, Crypto can deploy one that triggers the EMP after a short delay. With line of sight, it deals full shield damage and a heavier slow. Without it, the EMP deals 50 damage and a lighter slow.

Fixes

The notes say Cipher includes the usual bug fixes and balancing passes. The portion of the notes reviewed here does not list individual fixes, so check the full notes for them.

What it means for you

Heavy Ammo users will want to watch Wingman loot. Ranked players in Diamond+ can expect Legend voting before each match. Crypto players will need to manage drone battery time, and the Stronghold airdrop timings add a new mid-game objective.

Quick answers

When does Apex Legends Season 31 start?

EA's notes say Season 31, Cipher, begins on November 3.

How do you use the Akimbo Wingman?

Loot a second Wingman and you automatically enter Akimbo mode. Wingmans spawn in ground loot or at Heavy Arsenals.

How do you capture a Stronghold?

Control the zone around it until shared capture progress reaches 100%. Progress only builds while a single team is alive in the zone.