Apex Legends Gets Permanent Solo Queue, Patch Notes Detailed

Respawn Entertainment has just revealed that Apex Legends is going to get a permanent solo queue option and released the Chaos Theory Collection Event patch notes which details all the changes that are coming in the update next week. The event starts alongside the game’s release on the Nintendo Switch on March 9, 2021.

The patch notes reveal how the game will now be getting a solo queue, where in the lobby you will see the “Fill Matchmaking” that can be unchecked for a solo match. What this does is allow you to go into the match alone to play against Trios.

As you can expect, the update will be bringing a lot of changes to the Legends and Weapons in the game among other quality-of-life changes and bug fixes.

LEGEND UPDATES

Let’s first look at all the Legends buffs and nerfs that are coming in the update

Caustic

Nox Gas Grenade cooldown increased from 2.5 minutes to 3.5 minutes.
Nox Gas damages at a flat rate of 5hp per tick instead of ramping up from 6hp → 12hp.

Dev note: Caustic is brutally effective at slowing down engagements. The entirety of his kit revolves around gas with a large area of effect, slow, vision obstruction, and direct health damage. It’s proven to be too oppressive in too many scenarios especially considering teammates can play in gas relatively unimpaired. Significantly reducing gas damage (without taking it away completely or having it affect armor instead) seems like a fair compromise that stays true to the character while making him less oppressive on the receiving end. We will be monitoring the data and gameplay closely. If these changes hit Caustic’s appeal or effectiveness too hard we will revisit accordingly.

Pathfinder

Removed Low Profile

Dev Note: Low Profile has been used as a balancing tool for both mobile and/or small legends. Although Path is still mobile, his hitbox is large. While his overall win rate and encounter win rate is by no means low, it’s hard to justify keeping Low Profile on a hitbox of his size.

Gibraltar

Removed 15% faster heal item usage while in Dome of Protection.

Horizon

Increased Black Hole cooldown from 2 minutes to 3 minutes

Revenant

Revenant’s Silence now disables Mirage’s cloaked revive & respawn as well as Octane’s Swift Mend.

Wattson

Wattson now has passive shield regen at 0.5 hp/s (half of Octane’s current health regen rate).

Rampart

Explosives damage Amped Cover normally, instead of inflicting 200 damage.
Explosives damage Sheila normally, instead of inflicting 175 damage.

Dev Note: Walls should be beefy and powerful once built. Before Rampart shipped, we were worried that her nests would be too oppressive and so we gave enemy players the option to quickly clear them out with grenades. This wasn’t necessary, as it turns out, so we’re removing increased damage from grenades against Amped Cover and Sheila.

WEAPON UPDATE

Moving on to the weapons, we now have three weapons that are being tweaked in the new update

Weapon Optics

All gold AR and LMG default optics updated to 2x Bruiser.

Mastiff

Pellet damage decreased from 13 → 11. Fire rate increased from 1.0 → 1.1.

Dev Note: The goal of these changes are to place this weapon’s identity between the fast fire EVA-8 and the heavy hitting Peacekeeper. The Mastiff has consistently been dominant in close quarters combat given its forgiving spread pattern and high damage spikes with each shot. This change reduces that high damage potential in order to limit the amount of two pumps players experience on the receiving end.

Wingman

+1 bullet to every magazine size, including base.

Hemlok

Increased hip-fire spread.

Dev Note: The burst damage from the Hemlok’s hip-fire was feeling a little too consistent for an AR that should excel at medium range. This change mitigates the Hemlok’s close-quarters damage spikes that felt bad on the receiving end.

You can read the full patch notes on the Apex Legends game page on the EA website. Make sure to check out the Apex Legends guides below:

What do you think of the new changes in Apex Legends including the Solo queue? Are you happy with the Legends and weapon changes? Post your comments below.