Respawn reacted to community feedback and is making a couple of adjustments to the Street Fighter 6 collab Wildcard event. The changes touch the two mechanics players complained about the most – Block and Fighter Mode – and on top of that, the classic Wildcard playlist is coming back alongside the event mode. If you missed what the crossover actually brought, we covered the whole thing in our article about Street Fighter 6 in Apex.
What changed
- Blocking now drains the Fighter Gauge more quickly.
- Fighter Mode is no longer extended by dealing damage while you’re in Fighter Mode.
- Core Wildcard is returning alongside Apex K.O.
Block: shooting matters again
Part of the feedback said the Block mechanic felt overtuned and made shooting feel useless – with the reminder that Apex is a shooter first. The change means that once you put enough damage into a blocking opponent, you can break them out of the block far more reliably. In practice, guns get their say back in duels, so it pays to know what you’re holding – our weapons guide walks you through what’s worth picking up.
Fighter Mode won’t last forever
Respawn saw cases of players staying in Fighter Mode for tremendously long stretches, which created the feeling that the entire lobby was in Fighter Mode for the entire match. Dealing damage while in Fighter Mode no longer extends it, so the mode becomes a burst of power rather than a state you keep rolling for minutes on end.
Core Wildcard is back next to Apex K.O.
According to the devs, this piece of feedback comes up pretty much every time there’s a Wildcard event. Running two instances of Wildcard side by side carries potential complications, but Respawn believes it’s the most player-friendly approach whenever an event strays too far from the Wildcard design ethos. So if Apex K.O. isn’t for you, you can go back to Core Wildcard. The team says it will keep closely monitoring match data and community feedback.
Where to go next
If you’re just getting into Apex, start with our guide on how to play Apex Legends, and we track everything else around the game in our Apex Legends news section.
FAQ
Blocking now drains the Fighter Gauge more quickly. After you deal enough damage, you can break an opponent out of their block far more reliably than before.
Feedback said the mechanic felt overtuned and made shooting feel useless, with players pointing out that Apex is a shooter first.
No. Fighter Mode is no longer extended by dealing damage while you’re in it. Respawn saw players staying in the mode for extremely long stretches, which made it feel like the whole lobby was in Fighter Mode all match.
No. Core Wildcard is returning alongside Apex K.O., so you can pick the classic Wildcard experience instead.
The devs say they’ll continue to closely monitor match data and community feedback, so further adjustments aren’t off the table.