Respawn has rolled out a new Apex Legends update targeting Axle’s movement and combat abilities. The biggest change disables aim assist for players under Nitro Gate’s effect, alongside nerfs to slide control, launch speed, and the Kickstart drone.
The October 1 update also fixes an issue with Alter’s abilities and adjusts Wildcard’s Apex KO fighter combat. For players using Axle to push fights, there are several changes to get used to.
In brief:
- Aim assist is now disabled for any player under Nitro Gate’s effect.
- Axle’s passive slide control and Nitro Gate’s movement benefits have been reduced.
- Kickstart’s maximum knock-up and drone chase duration have been nerfed.
- Alter receives an ability fix, while Apex KO fighters lose some defense and stored Ultimate charges.
Nitro Gate Aim Assist Disabled in Apex Legends
Axle nerf affects anyone using Nitro Gate, as players under its effect no longer receive aim assist. Respawn’s wording applies to Nitro Gate users generally, so this also affects teammates taking advantage of the ability.
So, for controller players, that means aiming during a Nitro Gate push will need an adjustment. The restriction is tied specifically to the ability’s effect, rather than every slide.
Nitro Gate’s movement also takes a hit:
- Sliding lateral control: Reduced by 25% for Nitro Gate users.
- Initial push speed: Reduced from 700 to 650.
These changes should make Nitro Gate pushes less forgiving, particularly when players try to steer through tight turns while keeping their momentum.
Axle’s Passive Slide Control and Kickstart Ultimate Nerfed
Axle’s passive receives a 50% reduction to sliding lateral control. Respawn explains that this makes it harder to maintain slide momentum while cornering tightly. The change targets control through turns, rather than simply cutting slide speed in half.
Kickstart also receives three adjustments:
- A drone that locks onto a target immediately after deployment now produces a significantly smaller knock-up.
- Maximum knock-up magnitude drops from 700 to 650.
- Maximum drone chase time falls from 10 seconds to eight seconds.
The shorter chase gives the drone two fewer seconds to pursue a target. Combined with the knock-up changes, the Ultimate puts less sustained pressure on opponents trying to escape.
Alter Fix and Apex KO Wildcard Balance Changes
Respawn has fixed unreliable tactical and Ultimate ability usage for Alter near large moving structures.
Meanwhile, Apex KO’s Fighter’s Defense damage reduction drops from 55% to 50%. The developers say fighters remain difficult to defeat in one-on-one encounters against gun users, and this adjustment gives those players more damage against an approaching fighter.
Ryu, Chun-Li, and Dhalsim can now store two Ultimate charges instead of three. Respawn wants to reduce consecutive Ultimate attacks that leave opposing teams with little time to respond. Ultimate damage and meter accumulation rates remain unchanged.
Finally, Fight Gauge now regenerates passively while players are outside Fighter Form and below one pip. This addresses token shortages as K.O. Trucks are destroyed, helping players regain access to Fighter Form during a match.
