Apex Legends Season 20: Breakout – Patch Notes Revealed!

Billed as the largest update since its initial release, Season 20 Breakout is overhauling practically every element of the game, including EVO Shields and Legend abilities.

Apex Legends Season 20 Patch Notes bring big changes to Ranked, Crafting, and Legends.

Apex Legends Season 20: Breakout is just around the corner, and developer Respawn Entertainment has released the patch notes for what they’re calling the biggest update since the game’s launch in 2019. Get ready for some major changes and exciting additions to the game!

Breakout Rewards: Playable Legends and Challenges

One of the most interesting features in Season 20 is the introduction of “Breakout Rewards.” Every two weeks throughout the season, a new Legend will become playable, even if you haven’t unlocked them yet. During this time, a series of challenges will become available for players to complete. Those who successfully complete all the challenges will permanently unlock the Legend for free! But even if you’ve already unlocked every Legend, it’s still worth doing these challenges as there will be additional rewards up for grabs, such as the Top Tier reactive Flatline weapon skin (Legendary) and the Runaway Renegade Wraith Legend skin (Legendary).

Map Rotation and New Map: Thunderdome!

Season 20 will feature a rotation of three maps: Olympus, Storm Point, and World’s Edge. But that’s not all! Mixtape Mode is getting a new map called Thunderdome. The Thunderdome map is a reworked version of the now-destroyed Kings Canyon POI. It features an arena with a reactive crowd that cheers when players perform well and a massive Predator skull structure that shoots fire from the hole where its nose should be. Get ready for some intense battles in this exciting new map!

Performance Mode: 120 FPS for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S

Good news for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S owners! Season 20 introduces Performance mode, a setting that allows you to play the game at a blazing 120 frames per second on these next-gen consoles. Get ready for a smoother and more immersive gaming experience!

Ranked Mode Changes

Ranked Mode is getting some significant changes in Season 20. The mid-season splits are making a comeback, along with the removal of Provisional Matches and Promo Trials. Additionally, Ranked tier widths will be widened, and a new post-match breakdown screen will provide players with detailed information on how they gained or lost Ranked Points (RP). For a more in-depth breakdown of the Ranked Mode changes, check out our article here.

Reworked Crafting System

Crafting is getting a complete overhaul this season. Players will now only be able to craft one item per Replicator. On the bright side, weapons will no longer be locked to the Replicator each season, meaning more weapons will be accessible via the standard loot pool. Get ready to strategize your crafting decisions wisely!

Weapon Changes and Gold Ballistic Sights

A variety of weapons and attachments are receiving tweaks and changes this season. The EVA-8 shotgun will replace the Prowler SMG as the seasonal Care Package weapon. The gold weapon treatment will be given to the Devotion, Mastiff, R-301, RE-45, and 30-30 Repeater. There are also adjustments to weapon stats and attachments, including changes to the Hemlock, L-STAR, R-99, R-301, and more. Be sure to check out the full patch notes for all the weapon updates!

Legend Upgrades and Reworks

Season 20 introduces the Legend Upgrades system, which adds over 100 new Legend perks to the game. Some individual Legends are also being reworked to improve their overall balance and gameplay experience. For example, bigger Legends like Caustic, Gibraltar, Revenant, and others will feel less sluggish when running, making them more agile and versatile. Conduit, the newest Legend from Season 19, is also getting some reworks to her abilities. Stay tuned for these exciting changes to your favorite Legends!

More Updates and Changes

There are loads of other updates and changes coming to Apex Legends in Season 20, such as map updates, mode enhancements, ring exploit prevention, bug fixes, audio improvements, and much more! For a comprehensive list of all the patch notes, check out the complete breakdown below.

Patch Notes:

Added Tags: Players can now add a 3-4 character piece of flair ahead of their usernames.
Events: Moved into a dedicated tab in the Lobby, making it easier to access and participate in events.

Balance Updates:

Crafting 2.0:

Crafting Rotation has been removed, and all weapons and loot are now back on the floor.
Crafting options have been reduced to Shield Battery, Medkit, Ammo, and Player Banners.
Inventory can now be accessed from the Crafting menu.

Care Package Weapon Rotation:

The EVA-8 shotgun has replaced the Prowler SMG as the seasonal Care Package weapon.
The Prowler is now available in the standard loot pool instead.

Gold Weapons Rotation:

The R-301, RE-45, Mastiff, Devotion, and 30-30 Repeater now have gold weapon variants.

Weapons & Attachments:

30-30:

Base damage reduced to 39 from 42.
Ammo capacity adjustments.
Other changes to headshot multiplier, magazine size, and reload speed.

EVA-8 [Care Package]:

Damage reduced to 6 from 7.
Fire rate increased.
Other changes to recoil, Hammer Points, and gold Shotgun Bolt.

Hemlock:

Damage reduced to 20 from 21.
Changes to hipfire spread and spread delay.

L-STAR:

Can no longer equip Barrel Attachments.

Prowler [Floor]:

Reverted to the non-Care Package version.
Damage decreased, Burst delay and spread delay increased.

R-99:

ADS vertical and horizontal recoil increased.

R-301:

Hipfire spread reduced.

SMG Ballistics:

Changes to projectile gravity and launch speeds across SMGs.

1x Digital Threat:

Can no longer be equipped to SMGs.
Reduced spawn rates.

Laser Sights:

Adjusted spread multipliers.

Legends:

Heavy-Rig Legends:

Gibraltar, Caustic, Pathfinder, and Revenant now use medium-rig first-person movement animations.
No changes to actual game speeds.

Support Legends:

Extended Supply Bins have been improved, offering better gear upgrades.
Other adjustments have been made to specific Legend abilities.

Ballistic:

Sling Weapons now have all White attachments while equipped.
Other changes to the Tempest ability.

Catalyst:

Various changes to Dark Veil ability.

Conduit:

Changes to Radiant Flash and Energy Barricade abilities.

Mad Maggie:

Changes to Wrecking Ball ability.

Other Legend Updates:

Various adjustments have been made to other Legends to improve their gameplay experience.

Maps:

Map Updates:

The Apex Games Museum on World’s Edge has an all-new exhibit that honors the history of the Outlands and the origin of the Games.
Special celebration dressing with flags, banners, and Legend balloons can be found on every map, creating an exciting atmosphere.
Tridents, jump balloons, gravity cannons, loot bins, and more have a fresh new look to match the Breakout aesthetic.

Thunderdome:

Introducing a new custom Mixtape map called Thunderdome.
Fast-paced gameplay with a focused 3-lane design.
Playable for all mixtape game modes: Team Deathmatch, Gun Run, and Control.
Features a reactive crowd and a massive Predator skull structure that shoots fire.

Modes:

Mixtape:

Updated Loadouts to reflect Weapon Meta changes.
Changes to weapon spawns and lobby size in Gun Run mode.
New LTM called Straight Shot with unique gameplay mechanics.

Ranked:

Level requirement now 20 (previously 50).
Other changes to entry cost, player rankings, promotional trials, splits, and bonuses.
Ranked tier RP requirements and matchmaking have been adjusted.

World Systems:

Extended Supply Bins:

Extended Supply Bins now include Smart Gear upgrades for Knockdown Shields, Helmets, and Backpacks.
Increased likelihood of getting Med Kits.

Ring Exploit Prevention:

Players spending too much time outside the Ring will be warned and eventually eliminated.

Bug Fixes:

Various bug fixes and quality of life improvements.

Audio:

Synchronized in-game dialogue between clients.
Squad members can now be muted while spectating.

Graphics:

Several GPU rendering optimizations and improved graphics performance.

LiveAPI Updates and Upcoming Changes:

New gameplay event messages supporting Legend Upgrades and EVO Level changes.
Retirement of the existing file-based output in favor of the WebSockets connection interface.

🔗 For more information on Apex Legends Season 20: Breakout, check out our previous article here.

Now, let’s move on to some Q&A content to address additional topics that readers might find interesting or have concerns about.

Q&A

Q: Can you give some examples of the Legend Upgrades added in Season 20? A: Sure! Some examples of Legend Upgrades include enhanced abilities, increased movement speed, improved weapon handling, and unique passive perks. These upgrades will add a new layer of depth to each Legend’s playstyle and provide additional options for players to customize their strategies.

Q: How does the Breakout Rewards system work? A: Every two weeks throughout the season, a new Legend will become playable, even if you haven’t unlocked them yet. A series of challenges will also become available during this time. By completing these challenges, you can permanently unlock the featured Legend for free, along with additional rewards for completing all the challenges.

Q: Are there any changes to the Ranked Mode matchmaking system? A: Yes, the matchmaking system for Ranked Mode has been adjusted. For full-stack premades, the highest RP value in the squad will now be used for matchmaking. This change aims to create more balanced matches and ensure fair competition.

Q: What are the major changes to the crafting system? A: The crafting system has been entirely reworked in Season 20. Players can now only craft one item per Replicator. However, weapons will no longer be locked to the Replicator each season, allowing for a broader range of weapons to be accessible via the standard loot pool.

Q: Are there any major changes to existing weapons? A: Yes, Season 20 introduces various changes to weapon stats and attachments. For example, the EVA-8 shotgun has replaced the Prowler SMG as the seasonal Care Package weapon. The Hemlock, L-STAR, R-99, and R-301 have also received adjustments to their damage, recoil, and other attributes. Check out the full patch notes for all the details!

With all these exciting changes and additions coming in Apex Legends Season 20: Breakout, it’s truly shaping up to be one of the biggest updates yet! Get ready to jump into the action and experience all the new features, maps, and gameplay improvements. Don’t forget to share your epic moments with your friends and on social media. Let the Breakout begin!