Best Weapons and Meta Changes
Apex Legends is introducing a fresh dynamic with the arrival of Amps in Season 26. These new items are designed as lootable passives, allowing players to enhance their performance during the crucial mid and late stages of a match, regardless of which Legend they select.
Amps bring a new dimension of customization, layering additional choices onto the existing Legend Upgrades system. Season 26 also features a revamped approach to Hop Ups, expanding the range of strategies that players can use in every game.
Understanding Amps in Apex Legends
Amps are lootable items found throughout the map in Apex Legends starting from Season 26. These items grant an extra passive effect to any Legend, layering new gameplay options on top of existing character abilities. Although available in both Ranked and Unranked matches, Amps appear less frequently at the beginning of each game and become more accessible after the mid-game loot refresh. This timing ensures their advantages are primarily felt in the latter stages of a match.
Players can only equip one Amp at a time, which encourages making tactical decisions depending on the match situation and available Amps. Their game-altering effects have the potential to shape strategies for both solo players and teams, adding new depth to each round.
Which Amps are Available?
There are several different Amps confirmed for Season 26, with more possibly being introduced later. The currently known Amps and their effects are summarized in the table below:
| Amp Effect | Description |
|---|---|
| Shield Saver | Shield Batteries are not consumed when holding at least two. |
| Charge Up | Reduces cooldowns for Tactical and Ultimate abilities. |
| Tactical Recharge | Refreshes one Tactical ability charge after knocking an enemy. |
| Endless Ammo | Grants unlimited ammunition for all equipped weapons. |
| Locked Inventory | Restricts two inventory slots as a tradeoff. |
| Full Restoration | Cells and Syringes restore all shields/health over time. |
| Extra Shields | Provides a bonus of 25 additional shield capacity. |
Each Amp introduces a distinct change to gameplay, allowing players to customize their approach as the match progresses. Only one can be active at a time, so their selection will depend on individual goals and changing match dynamics.
Hop Up system reworked
Season 26 introduces significant tweaks to Hop Ups to better balance the growing selection of items like Amps. Now, Hop Ups are directly attached to specific weapons instead of being loose loot. Players will notice that these Hop Ups begin as inactive and only unlock after dealing a required threshold of damage with that weapon.
Key changes include:
- Locked to each weapon until activated
- Activation is based on damage dealt
- Progress resets on respawn or with new, unused weapons
- Popular variants, such as the Graffiti Hop Up, are returning
This update enables more Hop Ups to appear during a match, as activation is now tied to individual player and weapon performance rather than simple acquisition.
