CLUTCHSCOPECOMPETITIVE GAMING.
THE WHOLE PICTURE.
Search Tournament calendar
Apex Legends / News

Apex Cipher swaps L-STAR and Akimbo Mozambique—and reins in the Prowler

The L-STAR returns to floor loot with lower damage, while dual Mozambiques move into Care Packages. Prowler and Nemesis recoil changes target their reliability.

CS
ClutchScope editorial
Published 3 Nov 2026 · 2 min read
Fact-checked 3 Nov 2026 · Times stated with their timezone
AI technical gouache illustration of an Apex-style red Care Package with two compact Mozambique-inspired shotguns and an L-STAR-inspired energy weapon on the ground
Original AI illustration by ClutchScope; conceptual weapon rotation with stylised equipment, not a gameplay screenshot or exact weapon specification.
In this article
  1. The floor-loot L-STAR loses damage and sustained fire
  2. Care Package Mozambiques gain Executioner
  3. Prowler and Nemesis become less forgiving at range
  4. Shotgun attachments shift too

Apex Legends’ Cipher update trades the L-STAR out of Care Packages for the Akimbo Mozambique, while increasing recoil on the Prowler and Nemesis. Respawn’s November 2 patch notes spell out the weapon changes for Season 31, which begins today, November 3, 2026.

Alongside the new Akimbo Wingman, the swap changes both what squads can find on the ground and what they get from a high-value drop. The returning L-STAR is weaker than its Care Package version; the dual Mozambiques gain damage and a shield-healing hop-up.

The floor-loot L-STAR loses damage and sustained fire

L-STAR base damage falls from 21 to 19, and shots before overheating fall from 28 to 22. Its base stockpile shrinks from 168 to 88, though the stockpile’s clip recharge time improves from 22 seconds to 18. Redline is removed.

Those are separate trade-offs: a faster stockpile recharge does not restore the old damage or the longer firing window. Players picking it up from floor loot should not expect the Care Package version’s sustained pressure.

Care Package Mozambiques gain Executioner

The Akimbo Mozambique moves in the other direction. Damage per pellet rises from 17 to 18, its blast pattern tightens, and it gains the Executioner hop-up. Respawn lists Executioner’s shield healing at 15 shields per second on this Care Package weapon.

The stockpile is 80—40 per gun—with a larger 110, or 55 per gun, in Wildcard. That mode-specific figure should not be used as the normal Battle Royale stockpile.

Prowler and Nemesis become less forgiving at range

The Prowler gets increased recoil and loses its Selectfire hop-up. Respawn specifically describes its goal as reducing the SMG’s reliability at distance, where it had been competing too effectively with assault rifles, while keeping it dangerous up close.

The Nemesis gets increased vertical recoil.

There is also a handling improvement shared by burst weapons: Prowler, Hemlok, Nemesis and Akimbo Wingman support tap-fire queuing during auto-fire bursts. Respawn says the move to hold-to-fire bursts had made sequential tap firing feel sluggish; the queue is intended to restore responsiveness for players who prefer tapping.

Shotgun attachments shift too

The EVA-8 loses Double Tap Trigger and gains Disruptor Rounds, unlocked at 375 points. The Peacekeeper receives a higher rate of fire, and shotgun bolts now improve both its rechamber rate and its firing rate.