Mar 23, 2026
View on Steam↗Aftershock Event + Midseason Patch Notes
4/5 Significant
Gibraltar and Wraith receive massive kit overhauls alongside the Aftershock Event, which introduces the Vortex Shield mechanic and the full-auto Hemlok Breach AR.
Key Changes
- 1Gibraltar rework: New Momentum Boost passive, Dome CD reduced to 13s, and new electrified dome upgrades.
- 2Wraith rework: Tactical and Ultimate cooldowns significantly reduced; new Phase Dome and double jump upgrades.
- 3Aftershock Event: New Vortex Shield and EMP Blast mechanics with 9 customizable Wild Card upgrades.
- 4New Elite Hemlok Breach AR: Full-auto firing mode with an integrated silencer and explosive Breach Launcher.
- 5Olympus Map Update: Elysium POI moved to the northeast to improve Ranked and Competitive flow.
- 6Directional Footstep Audio: Volume now increases dynamically for enemies behind the player's POV.
- 7RE-45 Burst: Now the default version of the weapon and permanently uses Energy ammo.
- 8Wattson Buffs: Fences now deal 35 damage and can reinforce Hardlight meshes.
- 9Performance Upgrades: Implementation of WASAPI, ReBAR, and bindless resource batching for better CPU/GPU stability.
- 10Vault Key Change: Deathboxes no longer show 'Red' rarity for Vault Keys to prevent misleading loot expectations.
All Changes
👤Legends(19)
- buffGibraltar: New Passive 'Momentum Boost' grants a speed boost after sprinting for a few seconds while unarmed or using fast weapons.
- buffGibraltar: Melee punch now deals double damage to Hardlight structures.
- buffGibraltar: Dome of Protection cooldown reduced from 17s to 13s.
- buffGibraltar: Ultimate radius increased by 20% (integrated from previous upgrade).
- buffGibraltar: Missile call-in time for Defensive Bombardment has been sped up.
- buffGibraltar: Ultimate can now be thrown before the equip animation finishes.
- newGibraltar: New Level 2 Upgrade 'Thunder Dome' electrifies the dome, dealing 50 damage and slowing the first enemy to enter.
- newGibraltar: New Level 2 Upgrade 'Healing Dome' increases duration by 4s and doubles small meds healing for players inside.
- newGibraltar: New Level 3 Upgrade 'Triple Bombardment' splits the ultimate into 3 smaller charges.
- removeGibraltar: Removed Big Bruddah, Bubble Bunker, and Baby Bubble upgrades.
- buffWraith: Tactical cooldown reduced from 20s to 15s (integrated from previous upgrade).
- buffWraith: Ultimate cooldown reduced from 2.5 minutes to 1.5 minutes (integrated from previous upgrade).
- buffWraith: Increased casting speed animation for Dimensional Rift for quicker activation.
- newWraith: New Level 2 Upgrade 'Phase Dome' creates a 30s void dome while channeling ultimate that sends entrants into the void.
- newWraith: New Level 3 Upgrade 'Phase Jumper' increases tactical duration from 4s to 6s and adds double jump while in the void.
- buffWattson: Placing a fence in front of a Hardlight mesh now reinforces it, rebuilding it if broken.
- buffWattson: Fence damage increased from 20 to 35.
- buffWattson: Fence deployment time reduced from 1s to 0.5s.
- buffWattson: Interception Pylon now reinforces and rebuilds Hardlight meshes within its zone.
🔫Weapons(7)
- newHemlok Breach AR: New Elite Weapon: Hemlok Breach AR featuring full-auto fire, integrated silencer, and a Breach Charge explosive launcher.
- buff30-30 Repeater: 30-30 Repeater base damage increased from 41 to 43.
- changeRE-45 Burst: RE-45 Burst is now the default version and has been permanently moved to the Energy weapon category.
- buffP2020: P2020 base magazine size increased from 8 to 9.
- buffP2020: Hammerpoints upgrade cost reduced from 500 to 425 points.
- buffEVA-8: Improved base reload speed for the EVA-8.
- buffProwler PDW: Prowler PDW burst fire delay reduced and recoil improved.
⚙️Gameplay Systems(11)
- newVortex Shield: New Vortex Shield mechanic allows Legends to catch bullets and fire them back; recharged by EVO.
- newEMP Blast: New EMP Blast mechanic stuns enemies and damages objects; recharged by blocking damage or EVO.
- newWild Cards: Added 'Bigger and Better' Wild Card: Increases Vortex Shield size and deploy speed.
- newWild Cards: Added 'Duck and Cover' Wild Card: Increases shield area but disables return fire.
- newWild Cards: Added 'Energy Efficient' Wild Card: EMP Blast costs 50% energy.
- newWild Cards: Added 'Sonic Boom' Wild Card: Upgrades EMP damage and adds knockback.
- newWild Cards: Added 'Static Charge' Wild Card: EMP Battery remains fully charged after use.
- newWild Cards: Added 'Extra Juice' Wild Card: Revives grant EMP Battery charge.
- newWild Cards: Added 'Background Process' Wild Card: Passive EMP charging that increases while sprinting.
- newWild Cards: Added 'Kinetic Converter' Wild Card: Increases movement speed based on EMP charge.
- newWild Cards: Added 'Heat Signature' Wild Card: Spend EMP charge to highlight enemies through walls.
🗺️Maps(3)
- changeOlympus: Elysium POI moved to the northeast corner near Rift to reduce forced contests with Somers University.
- changeMap Rotation: Pubs and Ranked rotation updated to Olympus, Storm Point, and World's Edge.
- changeMixtape: Mixtape rotation updated with specific maps for TDM, Control, and Gun Run through May 5th.
🔊Audio(3)
- buffAudio Systems: Increased volume of footsteps from enemies outside POV, with volume scaling higher the further behind the player they are.
- changeAudio Systems: Lowered the volume of Hardlight mesh shattering based on community feedback.
- fixAudio Systems: Fixed an issue where audio mix settings were not saving properly on consoles.
💻Performance(4)
- newEngine: PC: Now uses Windows Audio Session API (WASAPI) for microphone input, supporting 'Voice Clarity' on Windows 11.
- buffEngine: Static objects now use bindless resources and batching to reduce draw calls and improve CPU performance.
- newEngine: PC: Added ReBAR support for faster GPU data uploads, reducing model/texture pop-in.
- changeEngine: Improved reflection intensity in dark areas and clarity for ambient/specular occlusion.
✨Quality of Life(5)
- changeVault Keys: Vault Keys no longer affect the color/rarity tier of a deathbox to prevent 'looting bait'.
- buffOctane: Players can now use the double jump from Octane's jump pad while healing.
- changeAlternator SMG: Removed extra hit markers from Alternator SMG in Double Tap mode to improve combat visibility.
- change30-30 Repeater: Cleaned up iron sights on the 30-30 'Long-Distance Agony' skin.
- buffApex Bots: Apex Bots now heal in cover, make smarter target decisions, strafe aggressively, and use map traversal like ziplines.
🐛Bug Fixes(4)
- fixCatalyst: Fixed Catalyst dead spot where enemies near the center of Piercing Spikes took no damage.
- fixOctane: Fixed Octane's Stim Surge remaining in hand while using Akimbo weapons.
- fixNewcastle: Fixed Newcastle's wall destroying Mad Maggie's wrecking ball if deployed too closely.
- fixSkins: Fixed visibility issues for Catalyst, Conduit, and Crypto skins while cloaked or being revived.
Summary
The Aftershock Event (Mar 31 - Apr 21) introduces the 'Charged Up' Wildcard mode featuring the Vortex Shield and EMP Blast mechanics. Gibraltar and Wraith have been significantly buffed with integrated upgrades and new ability behaviors, while Wattson receives improvements to her fences and Hardlight interactions. The weapon meta shifts with the introduction of the Elite Hemlok Breach AR and the RE-45 Burst becoming a permanent energy weapon. Additionally, Olympus sees a map update with Elysium moving to a new location to improve competitive flow.