Apex Legends: Cipher (Season 31) — Strongholds, Akimbo Wingman, Ranked bans (live November 3, 2026)
Season 31 Apex Legends: Cipher began November 3, 2026. Official patch notes cover Strongholds, Akimbo Wingman (heavy ammo), Crypto’s 25-second drone battery, Diamond+ Legend bans, and Challenger/Goliath Ranked entry costs.
Consulted November 5, 2026 (Europe/Paris). EA and Respawn’s official Apex Legends: Cipher patch notes (dated November 2, 2026) state that Season 31 begins on November 3, 2026. EA Help likewise lists Cipher launching November 3, 2026. This article summarizes those notes for players; mid-season Ranked ladders and later Wildcard map windows are labeled as such.
When Cipher started and where it runs
- Season start: November 3, 2026 (per patch notes overview and EA Help).
- Platforms listed at the end of the patch notes: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via the EA app, Epic Games Store, and Steam.
Strongholds
Cipher adds mid-match Strongholds: locked bunker-style structures that airdrop with dynamic cover. Teams capture the surrounding zone; when capture completes, doors unlock, each living capturing teammate gets a Level Up, and loot includes a Care Package weapon, gold guns, Amps, and Corrupted attachments. Notes warn Strongholds can crush players underneath on landing, and they cannot be entered, stolen by Loba, or breached by Alter until captured.
Airdrop timing is adjusted so Round 2 closing includes 1× Stronghold (with Care Package counts also changed in Round 1–2).
Akimbo Wingman
- Wingman ammo type moves from Sniper to Heavy (Heavy Magazines / Heavy Arsenals).
- Base damage 50 → 45; looting a second Wingman enters Akimbo (doubled magazine, alternating bursts, higher recoil/reload, headshot multiplier 1.25× / 56 headshot damage in akimbo).
Separate community topic covers precision-ammo confusion after this change.
Legend highlights (official balance pass)
- Crypto: drone uses a 25-second battery then recalls; 6-second recall before redeploy without a classic cooldown; marking enemies (8s mark, 4s mark cooldown); EMP behavior updated in and out of drone; Ally.MoveTo speed boost folded into base kit.
- Lifeline: D.O.C. heals while gliding; Tactical cooldown 25s → 15s; Upgrade path changes including Revive Shield.
- Revenant: Tactical cooldown 20s → 15s; Ultimate 180s → 150s; new Upgrade choices (Ever Lasting, Silence, No Escape).
- Loba: Tactical 25s → 30s; Ultimate 120s → 150s.
Ranked: Legend bans and wide-match entry costs
- Diamond+ Legend bans: each player requests one Legend; the system selects 2 bans weighted by request share (with a floor of unique Legends).
- Challenger Match: entry cost −30% when your Squad Tier is 2+ tiers below Lobby Tier.
- Goliath Match: entry cost +50% when Squad Tier is 2+ tiers above Lobby Tier. Match type is shown on the waiting screen / dropship exit.
Ranked UI adds Squad Tier, Lobby Tier, entry cost, and a Ranked inventory tab. Ranked Ladders are scheduled later this split (first ladder listed November 10–15, 2026).
Maps and Wildcard (launch window)
- Pubs and Ranked rotation at notes time: Storm Point, E-District Night, Broken Moon (with readability work on E-District Night).
- Wildcard: cards granted at the start of Rounds 1–3 via HUD selection; Replicators removed from Wildcard. Map window November 3–9, 2026: District Wildcard, Broken Moon Wildcard (later December window listed in notes).
Patch size / disk use (engine notes)
Season 30.0 and 31.0 patches are described as larger than usual because textures were recompressed; after applying, overall disk use should be smaller (~30 GB less on most platforms and ~17 GB on Switch 2 versus Season 29.0).
What this article does not claim
- No TricknFix ranked win-rate or “meta tier list” testing.
- Exact in-game clock for your region may still depend on servers after the stated calendar date.
- Full weapon/attachment lists are in the patch notes — only headline items are summarized here.
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