Evo shields have been a staple of Apex Legends since their introduction in season four’s System Override event, even replacing the original body shields as the default starting gear in season six onwards, and now, with season 18 just one day away, Respawn has made big changes to the evolution system which could drastically impact how the meta is viewed.
Respawn has included two changes to Evo Shields in this week’s Resurrection patch. The damage needed to evolve a shield from white to blue has now been increased to 200, up from an original 150. Additionally, blue and purple armor spawn rates have been reduced by 30 percent.
The first immediate impact the changes have will be in early game contests, as the winner will be less often decided by which team spots and grabs the higher-level shields on the map. Teams will find themselves in even fights more than in previous seasons, with fights coming down to more factors than just loot luck.
When it comes to POI contests or early rotations, guns with high damage and large base magazine sizes like the Wingman, Nemesis Burst AR, and G7 Scout will find their place in the spotlight for the season. Any weapon that can surprise and down white shield enemies in two or three bursts will become more favored as players adjust to having less health for the early stages.
These changes will reflect on a team’s loadout for more than just the initial drop fight though, as season 18 has also reduced the spawn rates of blue and purple weapon attachments by 20 percent, greatly shifting the priority for what players want to hold.
Typically, SMGs and shotguns perform very well in these off-the-drop scramble situations but require high rarity attachments like extended magazines and bolts to truly shine in damage potential. With additional nerfs to all SMGs’ headshot multiplier, strafe speed, and ammo capacity decreases for the base R-99 and all attachments, season 18 will prove much harder for players to dominate with the fast TTK that the weapon class is known for.
Related: These are the damage stats for all weapons in Apex Legends
As a result, players will more often search for weapons that don’t require attachments. The previously mentioned Wingman can take extended sniper magazines and the Skullpiercer attachment, but the six shots in the base magazine and 45 base damage are more than enough to down a player on white or red shields at any stage of the game. Similarly, the Flatline benefits from extended magazines and stocks, but can still down enemies in half of its starting 20 magazine, if a player found it in a supply bin after the drop.
Respawn’s intentions for evo shields going forwards is centered around players focusing on evolving their own shields through smart fights, safe poking, and crafting, rather than steamrolling fight after fight in the lobby with an immediate blue shield advantage for eliminating another team. The additional 50 damage needed to evolve a starting shield means two back-to-back fights don’t guarantee the winner a massive health buff for all members on the team, and keeps the majority of teams on even footing until later stages.
Despite all the nerfs, evo shields did get one buff in the Resurrection patch notes, as using a Replicator to level up a shield now grants 200 points rather than 150. Teams who land far away from the hottest POIs will still be able to keep up with shield levels, as they will still be able to craft a base white evo shield to blue like before and upgrade if they still have enough materials to level up to purples and reds.
Related: All legend classes in Apex Legends
The legend meta may also shift as a result of these changes, as Assault legends will be more prized for their passive ability to open the extra compartment in red weapon supply bins, granting the team guaranteed smart loot attachments for their currently equipped guns. Support legends like Lifeline and her Care Package, or Loba and Black Market Boutique will also find a unique niche in the evolving meta, able to call down or loot higher rarity shields with their respective ultimate abilities.
Players will be able to test out all the new evo shield changes for themselves when this new season drops on Aug. 8. For more information on the buffs and nerfs to legends and weapons this patch, players can also check out the official patch notes.
