Apex Legends April 9 update has buffed Mirage, changed weapon balancing, and more

The Apex Legends April 9 update is bringing a fresh batch of changes designed to shake up the battle royale’s meta. Just weeks after the mid-season patch, Respawn Entertainment is staying committed to regular balancing — this time focusing on fine-tuning some Legends and tweaking weapon performance across the board.

This article delves into the details of the April 9 update for Apex Legends.

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Everything we know about the Apex Legends April 9 update

Season 24 has already brought several substantial overhauls, including updates to various classes of the game. Now, with the April 9 update, Respawn has shifted its focus toward targeted balancing, especially among Legends like Ash, Mirage, Seer, and Conduit.

Ash’s tactical mobility has been toned down slightly. Her Phase Breach now takes longer to complete — traveling the max distance has increased from 1.4 seconds to 2.5 seconds, while the minimum distance has gone from 0.3 seconds to 0.5 seconds. Though subtle, the change gives opponents more time to react, slightly dampening her aggressive repositioning power.

On the flip side, Mirage mains have something to celebrate. His Ultimate now spawns six decoys instead of five, upping his trickery and overall confusion factor during high-stakes plays.

Similarly, Conduit’s Tactical has been made more effective — players now receive four shield regen per tick instead of three — enhancing her role as a support-oriented pick in tight gunfights.

Additionally, Seer got some polish. His Tactical hits the target more quickly, with activation time reduced from 1.4 to 0.8 seconds. The full execution of the ability has also been trimmed down slightly, from 1.0 seconds to 0.9 seconds. These small timing tweaks could make all the difference in clutch scenarios — giving Seer a sharper edge in scan-heavy engagements.

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Weapon balancing and adjustments

The Apex Legends April 9 update also introduces several impactful weapon tweaks. The Hemlock got a notable buff — its headshot damage is up by 2 points, and its magazine capacity has increased by 3 rounds (for base, white, and blue mags).

SMGs also received some love, with all of them gaining an additional point in Headshot damage.

On top of that, the Volt hipfire has been normalized to align with other submachine guns.

Volt SMG has been adjusted to align with other submachine guns in the April 9 update. (Image via EA)

However, not all weapons came out on top. The P2020’s damage has nudged down slightly from 25 to 24, and the L-Star now features heavier recoil and smaller projectile sizes, dialing back its reliability in firefights.

Another subtle but significant change comes to Accelerated Weapons. Now, ultimate charge gained from knocks and assists has been reduced from 30% to 20% — a tweak likely aimed at limiting overly rapid Ultimate cycling during high-kill matches.

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While the Apex Legends April 9 update might not be as game-changing as the mid-season overhaul, it serves a clear purpose: fine-tuning the gameplay experience for better balance and fairness. From Legend buffs and nerfs to weapon tweaks that may redefine gameplay preferences. Apex Legends players will likely need to adapt to stay competitive.

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Check out our other articles related to the game:

• This pistol is secretly the best meta close-range weapon in Apex Legends Season 24
• Alter rework in Apex Legends Season 24 Split 2: All changes and what to expect
• Apex Legends Season 24 Split 2 Battle Pass: All rewards and how to unlock
• Are SMGs overpowered in Apex Legends Season 24 Split 2? Possibilities explored