Apex Legends adds Strongholds, Akimbo Wingman and Crypto changes in Cipher notes

Respawn Entertainment has detailed the Season 31 changes coming to Apex Legends in its Cipher Designer’s Notes, outlining a new mid-match objective called Strongholds, the long-awaited Akimbo Wingman, and a fresh round of Legend tuning for Crypto and Lifeline. The studio also said District’s night version is returning after the map was shifted to daytime in a recent rework.

The notes frame Cipher as a season built around higher-value fights and more active choices in Battle Royale. Respawn says balance is in a strong place after last season, Marked, while still introducing new content to close out the year. The studio also said the most-picked ranked team composition has dropped back below 1% of all team comps in ranked, following the last round of nerfs to Axle.

Strongholds expand the airdrop game

Strongholds are the headline map-side addition for Cipher. Respawn describes them as a new type of Air Drop that appears once each match alongside existing Care Packages. The structures fall into the map much like a Care Package, but they are locked when they land. Players must capture and hold the area around the Stronghold before they can access the loot inside.

That loot pool includes Care Package Weaponry, Gold Guns, and other rare items. Enemies can contest the capture and try to take the rewards for themselves, while the Stronghold itself deploys dynamic cover in the surrounding area as it lands. Respawn says the placement and impact of each Stronghold can change from match to match depending on terrain and ring position at the time it drops.

The studio says Strongholds are meant to recreate the tension of a Care Package fight while giving Battle Royale a more reliable mid-game objective. Respawn also describes them as a way to preserve the risks and rewards of systems like Care Packages and Mythic Bins, but in a format it says is healthier and more sustainable for the game.

This is the latest step in the loot rework Respawn started last season, and it is designed to put a bigger fight point on the map in the middle of each match. In earlier Cipher coverage, Respawn had already teased the season’s broader direction in our previous look at Cipher’s biggest additions.

The Wingman goes akimbo

Cipher also brings the second akimbo weapon introduced since the system arrived in Season 22: the Wingman. Respawn says it chose the revolver because it felt like the best candidate for the system, even though the studio admits it was tempted by akimbo Spitfires at one point.

The new version aims to keep the Wingman’s high-skill, mid-range poke identity while making it less intimidating for more players. Respawn calls it the game’s first “burst” akimbo gun. When players pull the trigger, both Wingmans fire sequentially, one after the other. The studio says that firing pattern helps the weapon stand apart from other akimbo options and gives it a distinct place in the arsenal.

Respawn says the goal was to preserve the weapon’s familiar feel while changing its handling enough to create a new niche. The result, according to the developer, is a double-firing Wingman that still asks players to land their shots but does so in a different rhythm than the original sidearm.

Crypto, Lifeline and map rotation shifts

Crypto gets the biggest Legend refresh in the notes. Respawn says his kit had been overdue for a refresh and that the changes are meant to keep what makes him unique while nudging him toward a more aggressive recon role with less time spent in the drone. The studio says it also wants to keep him with the team more often.

Several drone changes are being folded into his base kit. Crypto now gains a speed boost when moving toward teammates through Ally.MoveTo(), and his drone has a 25-second battery before it automatically recalls. Respawn says that is meant to shorten drone time and make decisions faster. The drone also returns to use more quickly after being destroyed, its scan zone is now a 360-degree radius rather than tied to where it is looking, and it no longer scans doors or loot bins.

Crypto’s drone is also getting a more visible profile to enemies, and it can now mark opponents with an icon visible through geometry for 8 seconds. The drone will automatically try to mark enemies it spots in the world, and players can manually shoot the drone to mark enemies in range. That mark persists even if the drone is destroyed, recalled or leaves the scan area.

The EMP is also getting a wider set of activation options. Respawn says players can trigger it if the drone is stowed, already out in the world, or being piloted, with the control method varying by platform. The EMP itself now has variable output depending on line of sight: enemies hit without line of sight take 50 shield damage and a small movement slow, while enemies hit with line of sight take full shield damage and a stronger slow.

Lifeline is getting a smaller but broad set of support-focused changes. Respawn says it wants to bring back some old kit elements and improve her quality of life, especially since her pick rate has fallen at higher ranked levels. Her glide passive now lets her heal while gliding, and the Tactical cooldown reduction has been folded into base kit for faster access to healing. Improved Gliding is getting better handling and a longer duration, while BattPack is being removed in favor of Enhanced Radio, which moves up from Level 3 and increases assign distance.

At Level 3, Respawn is adding Revive Shield and Ultimate Cooldown. The revive shield brings back a version of her old passive, creating a shield that protects the player being revived by Lifeline. The Ultimate cooldown upgrade reduces the cooldown by 60 seconds.

Respawn also says it is making further balance adjustments elsewhere in the roster. The developer states that the game is in a solid place for legend and weapon balance after the most recent nerfs to Axle, and says no Legend is far and away higher than others in pick rate. Beyond the specific changes already listed, the studio says it plans to keep experimenting with day and night map variations to keep maps feeling fresh across patches.

The notes provided here end partway through a Revenant section, after Respawn begins describing additional upgrade changes, but the excerpt cuts off before those adjustments are fully detailed.