Apex Legends dev promises fix to frustrating Gold Armor swaps in next patch

Jacob Hale
apex legends shield armors

After numerous calls from players to fix the annoying Gold Armor swaps in Apex Legends, one of the Respawn devs have confirmed that a change is coming to make things much easier.

For a while now, players have grown increasingly frustrated with Gold Armor swaps, which forces you to hold to swap from Red Armor to Gold.

This is in contrast to regular armor swaps, where you only have to tap the swap input to swiftly upgrade.

While this was likely included as a precautionary measure to deter people from accidentally swapping away from Red Armor, the strongest available in the game, it’s actually caused more issues than the devs would have expected.

Gold Shield in Apex Legends
Gold shield is the same as purple, but your syringes and cells are more effective.

Many players have complained about the armor swap situation causing them untold issues, saying that it “seems unnecessary” to have this mechanic in the game.

In a September 3 tweet, Respawn comms director Ryan Rigney responded to a player complaining about the issue, confirming that changes were coming.

Simply saying that the team would be “fixing this next patch,” Rigney answered the prayers of many dedicated Apex fans, and it’s coming as soon as possible. Rigney provided the specific patch notes line, which details that “Swapping from Red to a Gold Shield with more health no longer requires a long press.”

The next update is expected to arrive roughly in mid-September, though no date is set in stone at the time of writing.

This change to armor swaps might take a bit of getting used to at first, but over time, this looks like a huge quality of life change that players will be delighted to see come into the game.

In another huge change, Respawn have removed tap strafing in Apex Legends, and added that they’re now looking to change controller aim assist down the line. Needless to say, the next update could be a big one.

About The Author

Jacob is Dexerto’s UK Editor and Call of Duty esports specialist. With a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Creative Writing, he previously worked as an Editor at Ginx TV. Jacob was nominated for Journalist of the Year at the 2023 Esports Awards. Contact: jacob.hale@dexerto.com.