Apex Legends update 1.69 is expected to buff Wattson and fix 3 big issues
The next update is small but mighty.
Apex Legends is expected to get its next big client update on May 24, presumably listed as version 1.69 on PlayStation consoles. While full patch notes for the download are likely to arrive soon after the content is officially published, the official Apex Legends Trello board offers a sneak peak at some of the tweaks fans can expect to see.
Especially if you’re a Wattson main, this latest hotfix is worth paying attention to.
Starting first with the most obvious problem, it’s no secret that Wattson’s ability kit has been feeling a bit lackluster since the start of Season 9. While her Perimeter Security tactical is meant to damage and slow enemies at once, the ability’s slowdown effect hasn't been functional since the latest Battle Pass went live in the beginning of May. The running theory amongst fans is that, since the throwable Arc Star’s slow effect was also removed at the start of Season 9, it’s possible Wattson’s fenders were inadvertently caught in the crossfire.
However, once this latest client patch goes live, that shortcoming will no longer exist. In some ways this is a buff for a Legend that’s had her ups and downs since arriving in the Apex Games in 2019, but now she’s really operating at her true capacity.
‘Apex Legends’ next update features a sneaky improvement for Wattson.
Elsewhere in the update is a critical fix for Valkyrie’s Skyward Dive Ultimate. Concurrently discovered shortly after the launch of Season 9, players found it was very easy for teammates to get stuck as Valk’s ability pushed them upward. If a Valk user activated Skyward Dive and a member of their trio got caught on a platform above them, for example, the stuck player would get thrown around until they were finally launched under the map.
In a Reddit thread published shortly after the release of the new season, Apex Legends Lead Game Designer Daniel Klein admitted the issue occurs because the current iteration of Valk’s Ult only makes sure she has enough vertical clearance to activate the ability. However, the same check isn’t applied to teammates. Klein further suggested that a potential fix might be for teammates to essentially “merge” with Valk as she shoots upward. With that concept in mind, it’s possible that’s how the ability will function once this next update has been fully deployed.
And finally, while discussed slightly less often than the prior two bugs, Apex fans are equally hopeful the update goes great lengths to resolve an Arena exploit in the Phase Runner map that allows players to clip through a specific rock to attack unsuspecting players without taking damage. Especially in the Arena mode that focuses so much more on skill in gameplay, leaving these kinds of exploits unchecked can be a serious deterrent to keeping new players engaged. With any luck, the latest patch will satiate those who’ve been enjoying the new game type.
Valkyrie and her teammates will no longer get stuck under the map once this new update is installed.
The last update for Apex Legends was published May 18, bringing Treasure Packs to Arenas and replacing Artillery with Thermal Station in the Arenas map rotation. Minutes after that patch went live, Respawn Comms Director Ryan Rigney tweeted that they are “now aiming May 24 for an Apex Legends update that includes a Wattson fence fix and addresses some Arenas exploits.” While it’s possible additional testing may delay the update by a day or so, this is the patch fans are expected to receive over the next few hours.
