Respawn has rolled out a fresh batch of Apex Legends quick fixes, and this one is aimed directly at the current weapon meta. The biggest headline is the Hemlock getting toned down after quickly becoming one of the most dominant guns in the game, while the P2020 has quietly received a small buff to make sidearm loadouts a bit more appealing. On top of that, Respawn has also re-enabled a Horizon skin that had been causing crashes for players.
It is the kind of update that feels small on paper but could have a noticeable effect in matches. When one weapon starts taking over both in popularity and performance, Respawn usually steps in fast, and that is exactly what happened here. According to the developers, the Elite Hemlok had become the dominant weapon over the past week in both win rate and usage, which is why this balance pass arrived so quickly.
Apex Legends Hemlock Nerf Hits the Season 28 Meta
The Hemlock is the clear loser in this update. Respawn reduced its base damage from 23 to 22 and also cut magazine size by 2 across all tiers. That may not sound massive at first glance, but in Apex, even a one-point damage reduction can change how reliable a weapon feels, especially when it is already shredding at mid range. The magazine nerf matters too, because it lowers the Hemlock’s total damage per mag and makes missed shots more punishing.
Respawn also fixed an interaction involving Trophy Systems, which should now properly intercept the Hemlok’s Breach Charge. That change is less flashy than the raw stat nerfs, but it is still important because it restores a counterplay option that was not working as intended. Altogether, the message from the developers is pretty obvious. They liked seeing players enjoy the new Elite Hemlok, but not to the point where it starts choking out the rest of the weapon pool.
P2020 Buff Gives Secondary Weapons More Value
While the Hemlock got pulled back, the P2020 moved in the opposite direction. Respawn increased its base damage from 23 to 24, a small buff that is meant to make the pistol a more interesting secondary option. The dev note says this extra damage is there to “spice up” the secondary weapon slot, which sounds minor, but Apex players know that tiny damage shifts can make cleanup weapons much more reliable.
This does not suddenly turn the P2020 into the best gun in the game, but it does make it a little more threatening in close fights and finish scenarios. In a meta where players are always looking for efficient backup weapons, even one extra point of damage can be enough to get people experimenting again. That is probably the real goal here. Respawn is not trying to create another monster. It is trying to slightly widen the pool of usable sidearms.
Horizon Skin Crash Bug Has Finally Been Fixed
Outside of weapon balancing, Respawn also confirmed that the Horizon skin, which had previously been causing crashes, has now been re-enabled. That is a welcome fix because cosmetic-related crashes are the kind of issue that instantly annoy players. Nobody wants a premium skin or equipped cosmetic to become a liability, especially in a competitive game where stability matters as much as balance.
Even though it is not as headline-grabbing as a major weapon nerf, this fix is still a meaningful part of the update. It removes one more technical headache from the game and gives affected Horizon players access to their skin again without the risk of breaking matches.
