Apex Legends is approaching both its first anniversary and the launch of a brand new season. It seems that they’re pulling out all of the stops for these two big occasions. The last gasp of air in Season 3 is going to be a big party, the Grand Soiree to be specific The event is going to feature a fair amount of new content, giving you one last chance to play the current iteration of the game before Season 4 brings a host of new additions. Just prior to the launch of this event, Apex Legends has received an update. This update hasn’t just added the event materials though; it actually contains some key balancing changes for the entire game. These Apex Legends Grand Soiree patch notes give some indication of where the balance of the game is heading for the next Season.
Apex Legends actually overtook Fortnite for PS4 downloads in the last year. With this kind of news, it’s easy to see why their latest event is attracting so much attention. While viewing figures on Twitch may have dropped since release, the game’s player base is as healthy as ever. This latest patch brings plenty of new stuff for these loyal players, as well as addressing some longstanding balancing issues.
Apex Legends Grand Soiree Patch Notes
These are all of the major changes introduced with this latest patch.
The Grand Soiree
- Obviously, this is the major new feature added in the Grand Soiree patch.
- Limited-Time Arcade Mode added.
- Event Prize Truck – You can cash in your points from the arcade mode for cosmetics here.
- Event Shop – This allows direct purchases of the event focused skins.
LTM Modes
The Limited Time Modes in the Grand Soiree patch are going to be running on a schedule. This is when you can play each game:
- Gold Rush Duos – January 14 – 15.
- Live Die Live – January 16 – 17
- Third Person Mode – January 18 – 19.
- Always Be Closing – January 20 – 21.
- Armed and Dangerous on World’s Edge – January 22 – 23.
- Night Game on Kings Canyon – January 24 – 25
- Dummies Big Day – January 26 – 28
Other Changes in The Grand Soiree Patch
The new game modes are kind of the main event. However, every patch brings changes to the game’s balance. This time around, they’re bigger than normal. This might be due to the new season starting soon. These balancing changes are getting some of the normal seasonal adjustments in early, so getting used to them now will help you start Season 4 off on the right foot. These are the other changes from the Apex Legends Grand Soiree Patch:
- Gibraltar’s passive ability now revives teammates faster while inside a dome shield.
- Wraith – The bonus for move speed when using Into the Void and Dimensional rift at the same time has been removed. You now get a combined movement speed. The cooldown for the Into the Void has also been increased from 25 seconds to 35.
- Crypto– Improvements have been made to the Drone and EMP. The Surveillance drone has had its health significantly increased, from 1 to 30. The EMP will no longer affect the traps or deployables of teammates, or slow down teammates.
- Energy Mags – Extended Energy Mags have been Removed Entirely. The Havoc Mag Size has been changed to 32, and the Devotion changed to 44.
- Tournament Mode – A trial tournament mode is being tested for specific players. This lets them play in privately arranged games.
The Apex Legends Grand Soiree update is a nice hint at what is coming up with the balance of the game. This event is going to be an exciting period, but Season 4 is fast approaching.