Apex Legends Season 23 — everything new and what's meta
Apex Legends Season 23 shakes up the meta with new legend tweaks, weapon balance changes, and a ranked rework. Here's what changed and what to play.
Season 23 overview
Apex Legends Season 23 continues Respawn's commitment to the movement-based battle royale that defined the genre's competitive era. The season brings legend adjustments, weapon tuning, and ranked changes that shift the meta significantly.
Legend tier list (Season 23)
S-Tier (must pick)
- Wraith — Still the queen of ranked. Phase walk and portal are unmatched for repositioning. The skill ceiling is infinite.
- Bloodhound — The scan meta never dies. Eye of the Allfather wins fights before they start. Ultimate turns you into a death machine.
- Horizon — Black Hole wins teamfights. Gravity Lift is the best vertical tool in the game. Pairs with any comp.
A-Tier (strong picks)
- Valkyrie — Skyward Dive rotates your team across the map. Missile swarm is underrated zone control.
- Catalyst — Dark Veil is the best defensive ability in the game. Piercing Spikes deny pushes.
- Bangalore — Smoke is always relevant. Rolling Thunder is a teamfight winner. The most consistent legend in the game.
B-Tier (situational)
- Octane — Fun, but Stim is a luxury. Launch Pad is the only reason to pick him in ranked.
- Pathfinder — Zipline is great, but the hitbox is massive. Grappling hook skill expression is high.
- Lifeline — D.O.C. heal is nice, but the care package was nerfed into irrelevance.
Weapon meta (Season 23)
Best weapons right now
| Slot | Weapon | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | R-301 Carbine | Consistent DPS, easy recoil, versatile range |
| Primary | Flatline | Higher damage per bullet, better at mid-range |
| Secondary | Wingman | One-tap potential, high skill ceiling |
| Secondary | EVA-8 Auto | Close-range shredder, forgiving in panic fights |
| Sniper | Longbow DMR | Safe poke damage, pairs with any primary |
| Sniper | Kraber | One-shot headshot potential. The dream weapon. |
What got buffed/nerfed
The Season 23 patch notes touched several weapons. Check our patch notes hub for the full breakdown.
Ranked rework
Season 23 adjusts the ranked point system:
- Placement points weighted more heavily (top 5 matters more)
- Kill points slightly reduced to discourage third-party farming
- Demotion protection added for Diamond+ players
- Master/Predator ladder now uses a separate MMR system
The goal: reward consistent play over highlight-reel kills. If you're grinding ranked, focus on placement over frags.
Movement tips
Apex's movement is its identity. Master these:
- Slide jumping — slide + jump for maximum distance
- Wall bouncing — jump + crouch at wall edges for speed boosts
- Tap strafing — A/D tap during jump for 90-degree turns (PC only)
- Super gliding — slope + slide + jump for downhill speed
Movement wins fights. A player who can reposition beats a player with better aim.
Full database
Browse all free battle royale and shooter games in our Games Database.
Apex Legends is free on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch. Cross-play enabled by default.
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