Logging into Apex Legends on January 7th felt like unwrapping an early Christmas present, if Christmas came with shotgun blasts and void portals. Respawn Entertainment dropped the mid-season update for Season 23 like a Care Package full of surprises, and oh boy, did it shake things up. I could feel the energy shift the moment I landed on World’s Edge – the air practically crackled with the promise of buffs, nerfs, and enough chaos to make even Bloodhound’s ravens dizzy. That Charge Rifle buff everyone’s buzzing about? Let’s just say my shields learned to fear the horizon real quick today. 
💥 Legends Getting Their Groove Back
My first drop? Had to be with my girl Loba. Walking out of the dropship with her Black Market already this close to charged? Absolute chef’s kiss. That 99% ultimate start is pure, unadulterated power, letting you crack open a Market faster than you can say ‘high-tier loot.’ And two charges on her Burglar’s Best Friend bracelet? Mercy. Suddenly, escaping that third party felt less like a desperate scramble and more like a graceful ballet – toss, teleport, toss again while muttering ‘catch me if you can, suckers!’ under my breath. Her upgrades got a wild makeover too:
| New Loba Upgrade Path | What It Does | Vibe Check |
|---|---|---|
| Shopping Spree (Lvl 2) | Whole squad takes 3 items from friendly Market | Team support heaven! |
| Wolf’s Claws (Lvl 2) | Speed boost & fast weapon draw post-teleport | Aggressive loot gremlin mode! |
| Brand New Bag (Lvl 3) | Squad gets gold backpacks! | Pure, chaotic generosity |
| Escape Artist (Lvl 3) | Regen 50 shield HP after teleport | The ultimate ‘Nope!’ button |
Then came Mirage. Sweet, bamboozlin’ Mirage. That new cloak while healing? Game. Changer. Popping a bat behind a rock while invisible? I swear I heard the enemy squad yelling ‘Where’d he go?!’ as I slipped away like a holographic ghost. His new upgrades though? Mind-blowing. Boozle-Eye scanning anyone dumb enough to shoot my decoy felt like turning the tables mid-fight. And Renaissance Man? Opening Assault Bins as Mirage? Scanning Care Packages like a discount Bloodhound? It’s like the game finally admitted Mirage isn’t just comic relief – he’s the ultimate wildcard flex. Is the Outlands ready for this level of Mirage-a-flage? Honestly? Probably not. It’s beautiful chaos.
Alter’s buffs felt like unlocking forbidden power. Dropping two Void Nexuses at once (Multidimensional upgrade)? It turned rotations into a teleporting symphony. Pushing one team, leaving a Nexus as an escape route, then yeeting another one across Fragment to flank? Chef’s kiss. That cooldown reduction (120s!) and the Nexus not timing out? Yeah, she just became the queen of map control. Felt like playing 4D chess while everyone else was stuck on checkers.
🔫 Weapons: The Good, The Bad, & The Sparky
The Charge Rifle isn't just back, it’s throwing a party and everyone’s invited (whether they want to be or not). Bigger mags? Check. Faster, bigger projectiles? Check. Less gravity? Oh mama. Slapping that Select Fire Hop-Up on it for an automatic mode? Pure energy weapon bliss. Respawn wasn’t kidding about making it ‘more approachable’ – it feels like a proper heavy hitter now, not that niche long-range plinker. That red beam of doom is officially terrifying again.
But the real shocker? Peacekeeper vs. Mastiff. The PK’s choke snapping shut faster than a vault door and those speedier projectiles? Suddenly, hitting moving targets at mid-range felt… easy? Like, suspiciously easy. Meanwhile, the Mastiff got the side-eye from the devs. Wider spread, slower raise time… it’s still a beast up close, but it lost that nasty consistency it had across longer distances. Felt like watching a bully finally get put in detention.
And the little RE-45 getting bumped to 13 damage? A small change, but in the heat of a hot drop, that extra punch mattered. Won me a fistfight-turned-pistol-whipping I had no business winning!
⚙️ Systems, Maps & That Sweet, Sweet Tech
The new Accelerator stock (built-in on Nemesis, G7, CAR) is wild. Dealing damage now fuels your EVO and your Ultimate? Knocks giving 30% Ult charge? This thing rewards aggression like nothing else. Landed early with a Nemesis? You’re basically a walking Ult battery. It fundamentally changes how you approach early fights – suddenly, poking isn’t just annoying, it’s progress!
Astral Anomaly bringing back Launch Royale? Pure nostalgia injected straight into the veins. Dropping onto OG Kings Canyon with those wacky Relic Weapons (Disruptor Alternator! Pre-nerf Charge Rifle! Skull Piercer Wingman!) was like stepping into a time machine. Opening a bin and guaranteeing a weapon? What a concept! It’s a glorious, unbalanced mess, and I adore it. The map rotation (KC, WE, Olympus, Storm Point, Broken Moon, E-District) keeps it fresh.
Ranked RP adjustments feel… fairer? Less punishing in Silver, more rewarding pushing into Gold and beyond. That misalignment fix is something ranked grinders have begged for. Losing less RP when you get stomped by higher-tier players masquerading in your lobby? Yes, please! 🙏
The Tech Stuff You Feel:
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DX12 as default? My rig breathed a sigh of relief. Smoother frames, less stutter, especially on Olympus. That AMD Anti-Lag 2 magic? Noticeable.
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Ring Lethality Warning disabling Support Perks? A subtle but crucial change – makes you really respect the circle’s bite.
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Loba’s Market grabbing banners/opening vaults? Streamlining her support role perfectly.
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Caustic barrels not dying to doors? Lifeline’s DOC not glitching out? Small fixes, big quality-of-life wins.
🤔 Closing Thoughts: The Meta’s New Playground
Playing through this update feels like Respawn handed us a giant box of new toys and said, ‘Go nuts.’ Mirage isn’t just a meme anymore. Loba’s bracelet feels like it finally works like it always should have. Alter’s double portals bend the rules of engagement. The Charge Rifle demands respect. The Accelerator stock changes the early-game tempo.
Will Mirage's jack-of-all-trades approach finally earn him consistent play? Can Loba’s dual identities – support angel or slippery skirmisher – coexist? Is Alter’s double Nexus too flexible? And seriously, is anyone ever going to pick up the Mastiff over the Peacekeeper now? Time will tell how this wild shakeup settles. One thing’s for sure: the second half of Season 23 just got a whole lot more interesting. The Outlands feel alive, unpredictable, and begging to be mastered all over again. Now, if you'll excuse me... I have some Bamboozles to deliver.