Apex Legends Crypto rework is one of the biggest Season 31: Cipher changes, arriving on 3 November 2026. Crypto’s Surveillance Drone now has a 25-second battery, the drone scans in all directions, and enemy marks remain visible through walls for eight seconds. His EMP is also easier to activate without leaving the fight.
Respawn wants Crypto spending less time piloting a drone while his squad fights without him. A parked drone can tag enemies automatically, and upgrades give you a choice between longer battery life and longer-lasting marks. Here’s how the changes work together.
Apex Legends Crypto rework: drone battery and recharge
The drone operates for 25 seconds before recalling automatically. Respawn has also improved how quickly it becomes available again after being destroyed and made entering and leaving drone view more responsive. The old approach of hovering for long periods is replaced by shorter reconnaissance trips, giving Crypto more chances to stay close to his teammates.
The updated drone is also easier for enemies to spot. It may handle better, but opponents have a clearer chance to find and destroy it. Use those 25 seconds to inspect a dangerous approach, gather positions and then return to your weapon. Spending the whole battery in one place can leave your squad short-handed.
360-degree scans, automatic marking and eight-second tags
The scan range now covers 360 degrees around the drone, rather than only its facing direction. Crypto can mark enemy players, adding an indicator that the squad sees through geometry. An ordinary mark lasts eight seconds, even if the drone is recalled, destroyed or moves outside the enemy’s scan area.
Leave the drone in a useful location and its new Sentry Mode will attempt to mark enemies automatically. While piloting the drone, you can manually launch a mark at enemies within a targeted area. Door and loot-bin scans have been removed to make the drone display less cluttered. The Apex Legends Crypto rework therefore puts more emphasis on opponents and the information your squad can act upon.
Apex Legends Crypto rework EMP controls explained
EMP can now be activated in three situations. With the drone stowed, pressing Ultimate deploys it and triggers EMP in one action. When the drone is already deployed, the Ultimate button triggers the blast at that drone’s position. While piloting, use the Ultimate button on PC or weapon-swap input on console to release the EMP.
The strength of EMP now depends on whether the drone has a clear line of sight to its target. Enemies hit without direct line of sight take 50 shield damage and a lighter slow. Enemies visible to the drone receive full shield damage and a stronger slowing effect. This makes placement more important: an EMP through cover is still useful, but the drone needs sight of its target for the full impact.
Apex Legends Crypto rework upgrades: Charged Up and 12-second marks
Charged Up replaces Hackathon and adds 10 seconds to the drone’s battery. That gives a 35-second battery when the upgrade is active. A different new upgrade increases the enemy mark duration from eight to 12 seconds. These bonuses let you choose between longer scouting time and more time for your team to act on a tag.
The Ally.MoveTo() bonus is now built into Crypto’s passive, increasing his movement speed when heading towards teammates. The old drone recharge improvement from Hackathon was also incorporated into base tuning. For the Apex Legends Crypto rework, these changes make the character less dependent on upgrade choices just to keep pace with a moving squad.
How to play Crypto in Season 31
Use brief drone checks to establish where another squad is holding, then let your teammates know before pushing. If a route can be covered by Sentry Mode, place the drone so automatic marks can support an advance. When preparing EMP, remember that walls can weaken the effect even though the blast still reaches the targets.
The Apex Legends Crypto rework fits the new Strongholds objective especially well: information helps when other squads are fighting for the same locked loot. For more on the capture-and-hold mechanic, see Apex Legends Strongholds and the Cipher season overview. EA’s full 31.0 notes are due 2 November, ahead of the 3 November launch.
When does the Apex Legends Crypto rework launch?
The Apex Legends Crypto rework launches with Season 31 on 3 November 2026. The confirmed changes already cover the 25-second battery, automatic tagging, variable EMP damage and the two new upgrades. Any final numerical adjustments should be checked against the full EA patch notes before launch.
You don’t have to wait for the season to understand the new playstyle. Keep the drone close enough to support your team, avoid using all its battery while your squad is already fighting, and choose an EMP position with clear sight of the enemy wherever possible.
Related Guides
Official developer source: Respawn and EA, Cipher Designer’s Notes.
