Respawn gives Apex Legends’ side modes a tune-up after community feedback
Wildcard now rotates maps every 90 minutes, and Bot Royale Evolved has been cut to one squad per lobby to ease queue times and skill gaps.
Respawn made a small mode-focused adjustment pass for Apex Legends on June 26, 2026. The biggest changes land on Wildcard and Bot Royale Evolved, with the former moving to a 90-minute map rotation timer and the latter narrowed to one player squad per lobby.
Patch Notes: Apex Legends – Latest Update 6/26/26
The goal here is pretty clear. Respawn is trying to keep the rotating mode in a steadier rhythm while also making Bot Royale Evolved quicker to queue into and less uneven from match to match.
- Hey all, we just made a couple adjustments to our game modes based on community feedback.
WILDCARD:
- In response to community feedback, we are converting Wildcard map rotations to a 90 minute timer! We are making this change to align with community desires and may test variations in rotation timing in future, all in pursuit of finding what players enjoy most.
BOT ROYALE EVOLVED:
- We have reduced Bot Royale Evolved lobbies to contain only one player squad with broad teammate matchmaking bands.
- Since Bot Royale evolved we’ve seen frustration around two prominent pain points: long queue times, and wide skill disparity between squads – both stemming from the 1-5 team lobby parameter. This change should allow players to get into matches much quicker and with less frustration towards your opponents. As such, Bot Royale Evolved should better align with its design intention of being a mode for learning, warmup, practice, and casual play.
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Source: Steam
Apex Legends
Developed by Respawn Entertainment
Conquer with character in Apex Legends, a free-to-play Hero shooter where legendary characters with powerful abilities team up to battle for fame & fortune on the fringes of the Frontier.
Master an ever-growing roster of diverse Legends, deep tactical squad play and bold new innovations that go beyond the Battle Royale experience—all within a rugged world where anything goes. Welcome to the next evolution of Hero Shooter.
- Genre: Shooter, Tactical
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch 2, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Modes: Multiplayer, Co-operative, Battle Royale
- Release: 2019-02-04
- Publisher: Electronic Arts
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Age Rating:
PEGI 16 / CERO D / GRAC 19+ / USK 16 / CLASS_IND 14 / ACB MA 15+ / ESRB T
- IGDB Rating: 75.5/100
