In Apex Legends, a squad that knows where its rivals are can decide when to attack—or when to disappear. The Cipher season update puts that advantage at the centre of the action, with a major overhaul for Crypto and new ways for every team to gamble on information, timing and firepower.
Announced on October 29, the update also adds a dual-wielded Wingman, high-risk Strongholds and changes for Revenant and Lifeline. Rather than simply adding more firepower, these features create new reasons to reveal your position, change plans or make a push before another squad does.
Crypto’s drone becomes a tool for active play
Crypto’s Surveillance Drone is moving away from a conventional cooldown. Under the rework, it runs on batteries and can be retrieved and redeployed without waiting through a long cooldown. That makes it easier to reposition the drone as a fight moves, instead of treating each deployment as a commitment.
Park the drone and its new Sentry Mode can tag enemies it sees, sharing that information with Crypto’s squad. His EMP Ultimate can also be deployed with a button press. Together, the changes appear designed to make Crypto’s intel more immediate and usable in the middle of a fight—not just something a player gathers while teammates wait.
That shift could change the rhythm of playing him. A drone that can be moved and sent ahead again gives its pilot more flexibility, while enemy tags may help a team coordinate a push or spot a threat before it closes in. The key question is how much reliable information Crypto can provide without giving opponents an easy clue to his squad’s position.
Strongholds make valuable loot a public invitation
Strongholds turn looting into a contest. They contain crate weapons, corrupted attachments and EVO for the whole squad, but opening one takes time and triggers an alarm that alerts nearby teams. The locations also come with cover and Hardlight, giving players a chance to defend the site rather than simply grab the reward and run.
That creates a choice with consequences: begin the raid and risk drawing enemies, or wait nearby and attack whoever does. The alarm makes the loot’s value visible to rivals, turning the Stronghold into a kind of temporary objective. Its most interesting reward may be the fight it provokes—and the opportunity for a patient squad to exploit it.
Akimbo firepower and ranked flexibility
The new Akimbo Wingman puts two of the precision revolvers in a player’s hands at once. The announcement presents the pairing as a high-damage option that still calls for careful aim. It is a straightforward addition on the surface, but its appeal will depend on how players balance that extra firepower against the discipline needed to land shots.
Ranked matches are also getting a pre-game layer of strategy in Diamond lobbies and above. Each player gets one vote to ban a Legend, with more votes increasing the chance that the chosen character is unavailable for that match. Teams will need alternatives ready, and the result could make familiar pick plans less dependable.
Legend upgrades and a longer view of the map
Revenant’s Ultimate cooldown is shorter and his Tactical is quicker. His new Upgrades can extend the Ultimate with each knock, silence nearby enemies after a Shadow Pounce, or automatically refresh that Pounce while an enemy is marked. Lifeline gets a shorter D.O.C. cooldown and can self-heal while gliding; her Upgrades add options including a revive shield, better flight mobility and a reduced Ultimate cooldown.
The update also introduces Cryptic Core, a Mythic Volt SMG styled around Crypto’s digital identity. It can appear in Cipher Seasonal Packs, where Exotic Shards can be used to retheme it with different colours and retro-game-cartridge designs. The packs also include seasonal skins for Crypto, Wraith, Gibraltar, Revenant and Horizon; the Mythic Volt is not available in every region.
Looking further ahead, EA says the major map update planned for Season 32 will be Kings Canyon Evolved, with a reworked map and new, remixed and updated points of interest expected in early 2027. For Cipher, the immediate through-line is clearer: information can start a fight, but it can also tell a squad when not to take one. In a battle royale, the cleverest shot may be the one you never have to fire.