In Apex Legends: Cipher, Lifeline can heal while gliding and Revenant gets a faster tactical ability. Both Legends also receive changes to their upgrades, as detailed in the announcement published on Steam on November 3, 2026.
Cipher also changes how Crypto controls his drone, introduces Strongholds with valuable squad loot and adds Legend ban voting to higher-ranked lobbies.
Lifeline and Revenant get new options
Lifeline’s D.O.C. cooldown is reduced, and she can heal while gliding. That gives her a way to recover health without interrupting her flight. Her upgrades also affect her shield during a revive and her mobility in the air.
Revenant receives a faster tactical ability and a shorter cooldown for his ultimate. Some of his upgrades can extend the ultimate with each knockdown, tying its duration to what he achieves during a fight. The announcement does not give numerical values for those adjustments, so their precise effect remains to be seen.
Crypto’s drone switches to batteries
Crypto’s surveillance drone moves from a cooldown to a battery system. Its new Sentry mode marks visible enemies for Crypto and his squad, while his EMP ultimate can be deployed at the press of a button.
The changes give Crypto a different way to manage his drone alongside a way to share information with teammates. Sentry marks enemies who are visible; the announcement does not describe it as detecting opponents regardless of visibility.
Strongholds put squad loot behind an alarm
Strongholds build on the Care Package concept and contain crate weapons, Corrupted Attachments and EVO for the entire squad, among other rewards. Opening one takes time and triggers an alarm that reveals the squad’s position to nearby players.
That makes the reward a shared opportunity, but opening a Stronghold also gives nearby opponents a chance to respond. Cipher adds another weapon in the Akimbo Wingman: a pair of revolvers wielded at the same time.
Ranked players can vote to ban a Legend
In Diamond and higher Ranked lobbies, each player gets one vote to ban a Legend. The more votes a Legend receives, the greater their chance of being banned for the match.
A vote does not guarantee that the selected Legend will be excluded. Players in those lobbies will have a say in the possible ban, while the outcome remains a matter of probability.
For Lifeline and Revenant players, the announced abilities describe the direction of the changes, but the missing balance values leave their exact impact open. Strongholds, meanwhile, make the choice to pursue squad-wide loot a visible risk for nearby opponents.
See also the Apex Legends game page, our article on Apex Legends: Cipher arriving November 3 with and our article on Apex Legends: an AMD driver announced on October 20 to address.
