Apex Legends update 1.69 patch notes: Wattson fence fix, leaving penalties & backpack issue addressed

Apex Legends’ latest 1.69 patch is finally live, bringing with it plenty of fixes to some of the game’s most frustrating bugs and glitches, namely Wattson’s fences and backpack issues. 

While Apex Legends’ massive Season 9 update brought with it plenty of new content to the table, there have also been a number of frustrating issues that have plagued the game. The biggest adjustment comes in the form of Wattson’s electric fence fix – an area that has been causing the Defensive Legend problems since the Legacy update went live. Respawn previously confirmed that this nerf to the Static Defender was an accident, so many fans will be glad to see if it fixed.

Fortunately, Wattson’s fences have now been fixed and perform as originally intended. If that wasn’t enough, patch 1.69 has also increased the spawn rate of backpacks/attachments, cleaned up Valkyrie’s glitchy ultimate, and fixed the various map exploits that players have been using to get an unfair advantage in the Arenas game mode. 

It’s hoped that this latest patch will drastically improve the overall gameplay experience, while also cutting down on any frustrating deaths that arise from game-breaking bugs and lack of attachments. Without further ado, let’s jump into all the patch 1.69 changes.

Wattson electrified in patch 1.69

The Static Defender could return to her former glory after the 1.69 patch update gave her Perimeter Security fences a much needed revert.

Apex players should notice that the slow effect on her electric fences should apply its tailored slow effect when players run through it.

This was one of the most requested changes to Wattson’s kit, since it drastically reduced the threat of her ground-control abilities.

• Read more: Apex Legends balance dev explains how they assess Legend buffs and nerfs

Don’t be surprised if Respawn keeps an eye on the Legend in the coming weeks to see if the buff is good enough to keep her viable or if she’s still weak and needs more tuning.

Valkyrie ult adjusted and stat pad exploit fixed

The Season 9: Legacy character, Valkyrie, debuted as a fan-favorite in the Apex Games, but the devs are still working on perfecting her kit – and plugging some exploits that have been cropping up.

Mainly, Respawn are adding a short input delay on her Skyward Dive ult that has been seeing players accidentally canceling the ability shortly after deploying it.

• Read more: Apex Legends players call for simple change to Mobile Respawn Beacons

Meanwhile, a bizarre stat padding exploit was discovered in the firing range that let people tweak the numbers on their account.

Arenas leavers penalty and more

Respawn are making a huge quality of life change in the Arenas mode with a leavers penalty system that will punish early quitters in the game.

“You only get the penalty if you were in a full squad when you left (this doesn’t apply if you were partying with a leaver–you’ll still get penalized in that case).”

This should entice players to try out Arenas again, since a match can be completely derailed if one player decides to quit before the game is over.

• Read more: Apex Legends Global Series Championship: How to watch, prize pool, schedule

There was also a fix to an exploit in Arenas that let people upgrade, even if they didn’t have the proper materials to do so.

The full Apex Legends 1.69 patch notes can be found below, courtesy of Respawn.

---

Apex Legends 1.69 patch notes

• Restored slow effect when players run into Wattson’s fences
• Valkyrie changes:
  • Added a short input delay after using Valkyrie’s ult to prevent players from accidentally activating–then immediately cancelling–their ult by accident
  • Fixed an exploit that let players record stats in the firing range while using Valkyrie
  • Fixed an edge case that allowed her ult to be activated shortly after using a jump pad
• Arenas changes:
  • Penalties for abandoning games have been added to Arenas. This is similar to the abandon penalty applied in Ranged BR games. You only get a penalty if you were in a full squad when you left (this doesn’t apply if you were parties with a leaver–you’ll still get penalized in that case). This update will activate a warning for players who are about to leave a game in-progress. The associated penalties will follow shortly after.
  • Fixed an exploit that allowed users to unlock upgrades without having enough materials to do so.
  • Hop-up Upgrades for Bocek bow are now as follows: Level 2: Shattercaps. Level 3: Deadeye’s Tempo
  • Fixed Various Arenas bugs and errors
• Loot adjustments
  • Adjusted the logic for loot items being spawned on the ground as opposed to being placed into loot bins. This should cause backpacks to spawn more evenly on the ground as opposed to being spawned almost exclusively in loot bins.
  • Slight increase in spawn rates for Level 2 Evo armor. The starter kit changes introduced in Season 9 had caused them to be lowered by more than expected.
• Miscellaneous stability fixes

Late Afternoon PT Playlist Update:

• Re-enabling Valkyrie in the firing range
• We’re temporarily increasing survival XP earned in Arenas. This is a placeholder fix to offset the fact that the buy phase currently isn’t being taken into account for “survival time.” In a future patch we’ll adjust the survival time calculation to include the buy phase and return the survival XP earn rate to its previous level.

So, there you have it, everything that was adjusted in Apex Legends’ 1.69 update. Time will tell whether these changes will be enough to help Wattson’s pitiful play rate or whether the loot adjustments will prove satisfactory.

---

Make sure you check out our Apex Legends page for all the latest news and updates.