Apex Legends Double Take midseason update: Complete guide to weapon changes, legend upgrades, and Quads mode
Season 21 Midseason Overview
Apex Legends’ midseason refresh brings substantial gameplay adjustments alongside the Double Take collection event. This comprehensive update introduces meaningful balance changes that will reshape competitive play.
The Double Take event marks Season 21’s halfway point with fresh cosmetics and the revolutionary Quads game mode. These additions complement an extensive list of weapon and legend adjustments designed to refresh the competitive landscape.
Strategic players should note that this patch emphasizes weapon handling improvements and legend ability refinements. The changes target both casual enjoyment and competitive balance, making this one of the most impactful midseason updates in recent memory.
From R-99 SMG enhancements that restore its close-range dominance to complete legend perk overhauls, the June 25 update delivers substantial meta shifts. Understanding these changes early provides a competitive advantage.
Below you’ll find detailed analysis of every balance change and strategic implications for the updated Apex Legends gameplay experience.
Weapon Balance Changes
Weapon adjustments focus on improving handling characteristics and rebalancing attachment effectiveness. The R-99 SMG receives the most significant improvements to restore its competitive viability.
Gold Weapons Rotation
R-99 SMG Buffs:
- No Mag: 20 (was 24)
- White Mag: 24 (was 28)
- Blue Mag: 28 (was 32)
- Purple Mag: 32 (was 36)
Sight Adjustments:
- Optic updated to 1x Hcog (was 2x Bruiser)
- Optic updated to 4-8x (was 2-4x)
- Gunrun will keep a 2-4x
4x-10x Digital Threat Scope
Legend Ability Updates
Legend adjustments target ability balance and perk effectiveness, with particular focus on countering smoke-based strategies and refining upgrade paths.
Vision Ability Changes:
Alter Upgrades:
- Raven’s Blessing: Ult charge reduced to 20% (was 25%)
- NEW Sighthound: reduced Tac cooldown by 50% while Ultimate is active
- NEW Flock: remove enemy range requirement for White Raven spawns
- Both previous Level 3 perks have been removed with this change
Octane Upgrades:
- Down & Away: Tac will now refresh on BOTH knocks and assisted knocks within a 3s window
Crypto Upgrades:
- Grim Leaper: Tac will now refresh on BOTH knocks and assisted knocks within a 3s window
New Quads Game Mode
The Quads game mode introduces four-player squads, replacing the Duos playlist temporarily with enhanced loot distribution and legend compatibility updates.
Loot Improvements:
- Chance to find Blue/Purple kitted weapons
- Increased ammo in Light, Heavy, and Energy ammo boxes
- Increased chance to find ammo, health, shield, scopes, and deployable items
- Increased Replicator starting count 12→15
Legend Compatibility:
- Mirage Decoy shows 4 squad members when dropping from the dropship
- Valkyrie’s Ult allows for up to 3 additional squad members to attach
- Vantage Passive can spot the armor on all enemy teammates when in ADS
- Loba’s Ultimate has UI to support a fourth player
NOTE: Quads is the only mode that supports queueing with 4 players. All other modes will be locked
Map and Mode Rotations
Mixtape map rotations receive scheduled updates through the event period, with Lockdown gaining new locations and improved spawn logic across all modes.
Mixtape Map Rotations Schedule:
- 6/25-7/8
- Control: Caustic, Labs, Thunderdome
- Gun Run: Estates, Fragment, Zeus Station
- TDM: Habitat, The Core, Estates
- 7/9-7/22
- Control: Labs, Caustic
- Gun Run: Estates, Fragment
- Lockdown: The Core, Estates
- TDM: Habitat, Phase Runner
- 7/23-7/29
- Control: Labs, Caustic, Production Yard
- Gun Run: Estates, Fragment, Zeus Station
- Lockdown: The Core, Thunderdome, Estates
- TDM (removed during 1st week of LTM)
- 7/30-8/5
- Control: Labs, Caustic
- Gun Run: Estates, Fragment
- Lockdown: The Core, Estates
- TDM: Habitat, Phase Runner
Ranked System Updates
Ranked Rumble replaces standard Ranked League with adjusted entry costs and scoring systems based on community feedback and performance data analysis.
Ranked Rumble takes over the normal Ranked League at the end of the season as the singular Ranked offering. Ranked entry cost, placement, and KP tuning updated to:
Entry Cost Reductions:
- Gold: 35 (was 40)
- Platinum: 55 (was 60)
- Diamond: 75 (was 80)
Placement Scoring:
- 15th: 5 (was 0)
- 14th: 5 (was 0)
Kill Point Adjustments:
- 8th: 14 (was 12)
- 7th: 14 (was 12)
- 6th: 16 (was 12)
Dev Note: we have received valuable insights from last season’s data and community feedback and made slight adjustments based on both. The entry cost above Bronze has been lowered slightly, all of the Top 15 players will now receive corresponding placement points, and increased the KP for players in the top 6th-8th positions. With the potential for more updates to come as we continue to monitor.
Technical Improvements and Bug Fixes
Comprehensive technical updates address performance issues, legend-specific bugs, and quality-of-life improvements across all platforms.
General Bug Fixes:
Performance Optimizations:
- Input and window processing now occurs on its own thread instead of the render thread
Legend-Specific Fixes:
- Players should no longer rarely get stuck in the ceiling/floor when using a Void Passage
- Stuck projectiles (such as Arc Stars) now fall off correctly when traveling through a Void Passage
- Tac’s Void Siphon (the interactable part) no longer missing a cooldown after exiting a Void Passage (same as the cooldown when re-entering the actual portal)
- Piercing Spikes no longer activated by MRVNs
- Piercing Spikes activation no longer blocked by Gibraltar’s gun shield
Quality of Life Improvements:
- Circle on PlayStation
- B on Xbox
- Square on PlayStation
- A on Xbox
Performance Enhancements:
- Check out our reddit post for updated DX12 Beta instructions
- Migrated to the Rendering Hardware Interface (RHI), shared by PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC DirectX 12
- FOV Slider added: may impact performance for players choosing to increase it beyond 70
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