Apex Legends Season 31 balance changes include new cooldowns for Loba, major buffs for Crypto, Revenant and Lifeline, and planned nerfs to the Prowler and Nemesis. The changes arrive with Cipher on 3 November 2026, following the full 31.0 patch notes on 2 November.
Respawn set out the key decisions in its 30 October designer notes, including exact cooldown changes for Loba and several Legend upgrades. The numbers for Loba and several Legend abilities are already confirmed, while exact Prowler and Nemesis values are being reserved for the complete patch. Axle’s earlier October hotfix is separate from the new season.
Apex Legends Season 31 balance changes: Loba cooldown nerfs
Loba’s Tactical cooldown rises from 25 to 30 seconds, while her Ultimate cooldown rises from 120 to 150 seconds. Respawn says Loba’s recent buffs made her abilities available too frequently and contributed to a strong increase in her popularity.
That adds five seconds between Loba’s Tactical uses and 30 seconds between Ultimates. The abilities remain in her kit; they simply won’t be ready quite as often. Players relying on frequent repositioning will need to account for the downtime.
Apex Legends Season 31 balance changes for Crypto
Crypto’s Surveillance Drone now uses a 25-second battery and a 360-degree scan. It marks enemies for eight seconds, with mark icons visible through geometry, and a parked drone can automatically tag targets. His EMP becomes easier to use from multiple drone states.
A target outside the drone’s line of sight takes 50 shield damage and a lighter slow, while visible enemies receive the full effect. Upgrades can extend the battery by 10 seconds or make marks last 12 seconds. See our Crypto rework guide for the controls.
Revenant’s Tactical, Ultimate and Silence buffs
Revenant’s Tactical cooldown falls by five seconds and its attack and charge timings improve. His Ultimate cooldown drops by 30 seconds. The old 35-second Ultimate timer cap is removed, and each knock adds five seconds while the ability is active.
His new upgrades include Silence, a four-second area pulse after landing from Shadow Pounce, No Escape, which refreshes the Tactical when a passive low-health mark occurs, and Every Lasting, which gives more Ultimate time after a knock. These Apex Legends Season 31 balance changes make aggressive plays more rewarding.
Lifeline’s glide healing and Revive Shield
Lifeline gains D.O.C. healing while gliding, and her former 10-second Tactical cooldown upgrade becomes part of her base kit. She can choose Revive Shield at Level 3 to protect a teammate during a revive or take an alternative upgrade that cuts her Ultimate cooldown by 60 seconds.
Improved Gliding handles better, while BattPack makes way for Enhanced Radio. The Apex Legends Season 31 balance changes for Lifeline focus on keeping the squad healthy and making her upgrade choices more interesting. See our Lifeline guide for the full comparison.
Prowler and Nemesis nerfs, Hemlok changes
Respawn says the Prowler and Nemesis have climbed in usage and win rate, so both are being nerfed. The 30 October notes confirm both nerfs but leave the final numerical weapon changes to the 2 November patch notes. The Hemlok Burst AR returns while the Hemlok Breach or Elite variant rotates out, and Akimbo Wingman is being added.
For Apex Legends Season 31 balance changes, the weapon direction is confirmed even without the complete damage figures. Check the 2 November patch notes for final values. Our weapon changes guide explains the announced rotation.
Are Axle’s nerfs part of the November update?
No. Respawn discusses Axle in the designer notes but labels those adjustments as coming from the 1 October 2026 hotfix. They concern movement behaviour, Tactical aim assist and Ultimate knockback. These adjustments are already live from the earlier hotfix and should not be counted as new November changes.
The Apex Legends Season 31 balance changes being introduced in Cipher cover the new Legend and weapon adjustments above. Axle’s earlier patch is context for how Respawn is managing the current meta, not an additional Season 31 release.
When do the Apex Legends Season 31 balance changes arrive?
Apex Legends Season 31 balance changes go live with Cipher on 3 November. The full patch notes are scheduled for 2 November 2026, when players will be able to compare the precise weapon values and any remaining smaller adjustments.
Loba will have longer waits between abilities; Crypto gets more active reconnaissance; Revenant gains stronger chase tools; and Lifeline receives more flexible healing and revival options. Our Cipher overview covers the other season features.
Related Guides
Official developer source: Electronic Arts, Cipher Designer’s Notes.
