Crypto’s drone will automatically return after 25 seconds in Apex Legends: Cipher, while its enemy marks will survive the drone being recalled or destroyed. Respawn’s October 30 designer notes describe a rework built around gathering information quickly, then joining the fight rather than staying behind the controls.
The changes are coming with Season 31 on November 3, 2026. They are not live yet; Respawn says the full patch notes arrive on November 2.
The battery changes the rhythm
The new battery gives Hack a 25-second outing before an automatic recall. Respawn is also shortening the wait after the drone is destroyed, speeding up entry into drone control and improving its handling. The drone will be more visible to opponents in return.
Enemy scanning will cover a 360-degree radius rather than only the direction the drone faces. Doors and loot bins will no longer be scanned, reducing clutter around the information a squad actually needs in a fight.
Crypto also gains the former Ally.MoveTo() upgrade in his base kit: a speed boost when running toward teammates. That gives him a way to catch up after a brief reconnaissance stop.
Marks outlast the drone
Hack will automatically look for enemies to mark while deployed. While piloting it, players can manually fire to mark enemies within a zone.
A mark appears above the enemy, remains visible through geometry and lasts eight seconds. It persists if Hack is destroyed, recalled or leaves that enemy’s scan area. That persistence is the important distinction: withdrawing the drone will not immediately erase the information it just gathered.
An upgrade will extend marks to 12 seconds, replacing Ally.MoveTo(). Another, Charged Up, adds ten seconds to the battery and replaces Hackathon, whose faster recharge functionality is being addressed in the base-kit changes.
EMP placement matters more
Crypto will be able to deploy Hack and trigger a ready EMP with one press of the Ultimate button. If the drone is already deployed, that button triggers the EMP at its position. While piloting, PC players use the Ultimate button; console players use weapon swap.
The effect will depend on whether Hack can see the enemy. Without line of sight, an enemy hit takes 50 shield damage and a slight movement slow. With line of sight, Respawn describes full shield damage and a stronger slow.
That creates a sharper choice between protecting Hack behind cover and exposing it for a more effective EMP. A drone hidden on the other side of a wall will still have an effect, but it will not deliver the same shield damage and slow as a clean angle.