The Overclocked Split 2 patch is live, and it reshuffles the meta in both directions. Three Legends got stronger, four got trimmed, and the weapon pool rotated its hop-ups. If you only care about what to load into your next ranked match, the short list is below, followed by the exact numbers that justify each pick.
Quick answer: Run Pathfinder, Ballistic, Valkyrie, or Vantage for Legends, and the Mastiff, Flatline, or Nemesis for weapons. Pathfinder and Ballistic gained the most from the 29.1 buffs, while Valkyrie and Vantage stayed strong despite a minor or zero nerf.
Best Legends to use in Season 29 Split 2
The patch moved Pathfinder and Ballistic up sharply, kept Valkyrie and Vantage near the top, and toned down Axle, Conduit, and Mad Maggie. The picks below are the ones whose kit reads best after the changes.
Pathfinder
Pathfinder is the clearest winner of the patch. His grapple now has two charges on a flat 20-second cooldown, so you get reliable movement instead of waiting out a growing cooldown. The zipline Ultimate launches faster and drops from a 3-minute to a 2-minute cooldown, letting you rotate or reposition far more often.
His new Level 3 perk, Landing Gear, adds Horizon’s air control plus soft landings, which keeps you in control when chasing or escaping from height. He also tucks his legs on horizontal ziplines now, shrinking his hitbox while he travels.
Ballistic
Ballistic is technically a mix of buffs and a trade-off, but the net result favors aggressive players. Overheat now applies to only one weapon, so you can swap to your second gun and keep fighting while the first cools. The punishment is steeper, with Overheat damage jumping from 15 to 50, but the counterplay of switching guns more than makes up for it.
His Ultimate now grants a sprint boost to nearby teammates, which is ideal for pushing as a squad without making everyone untouchable mid-fight. His Tactical also runs two charges at a 15-second duration. The Level 3 Quiet Time perk swaps Overheat for a silence-and-slow on hit, opening a disruptive playstyle for ranked.
Valkyrie
Valkyrie is the only top pick here that took a nerf, and it is a small one. She lost the faster landing from skydiving, but nothing else in her kit changed. Her EVO 2 scan through buildings, her EVAC Tower flights, and her jetpack passive all remain intact, so she keeps her place as a premier repositioning Legend.
Stack EVAC Towers to hunt isolated enemies, then stun a stragler with her missile swarm just before landing for an easy opening knock.
Vantage
Vantage received no changes at all, which by default leaves her strong. Her sniper rewards early-game pressure, since two marked hits will drop a target on blue shields. Her Tactical relocates her between buildings quickly, and it grants Horizon’s air-control passive without needing to spend a perk slot, unlike Pathfinder’s EVO 3 requirement.
Axle after the nerfs: still playable, less oppressive
Axle stays usable, but her ceiling dropped. Knocked players can no longer slide across the map on Nitro Gates, and the Super Slider upgrade no longer hands you a free extra Tactical charge. Instead it gives a 5-second cooldown reduction and one more world gate, which keeps her movement fast without flooding the field.
Her Kickstart Ultimate now launches enemies along a parabolic arc tied to their movement speed rather than straight up, and the highlight duration is shorter. The Ultimate also has lower health, so opponents can shoot it down. The play now is to push behind the Ultimate and grab a knock while enemies are busy destroying it.
Best weapons to use in Season 29 Split 2
The weapon meta moved mostly through hop-up rotation rather than raw stat changes. The Hemlok Breach AR lost magazine size across all tiers, while shotguns and a few rifles gained new reasons to run them.
Mastiff
The Mastiff pairs perfectly with the new Executioner hop-up. Knocking an enemy restores 50 shields over 10 seconds, and multiple knocks stack the regeneration. With the Mastiff’s high base damage, securing that first knock is straightforward, which lets you keep pushing while your shields refill mid-fight.
Flatline
The Flatline picks up the Graffiti Mod, which moved off the Longbow, Wingman, and Mozambique. The mod improves handling, ammo capacity, and recoil control, turning an already reliable AR into a more forgiving close-to-mid-range option.
Nemesis
The Nemesis can now equip the Turbocharger, unlockable at 600 upgrade points. The burst rifle was already strong, and removing the spin-up tax means you can charge it in roughly two bursts and ramp into full fire rate faster. Budget your crafting points if you plan to lean on it.
Overclocked 29.1 key changes reference
The table summarizes the core balance moves that drive the picks above. Full details are published in the official Apex Legends patch notes.
| Item | Change |
|---|---|
| Pathfinder Tactical | 2 charges, flat 20s cooldown |
| Pathfinder Ultimate | Faster launch, 3 min → 2 min cooldown |
| Ballistic Overheat | One weapon only, 15 → 50 damage, 12s → 15s |
| Ballistic Ultimate | Sprint boost for nearby teammates |
| Valkyrie | Faster skydive landing removed |
| Vantage | No changes |
| Axle Tactical | Max gates 3 → 2, health 150 → 100 |
| Conduit Tactical | Regen 15/s → 10/s, cooldown 27s → 30s |
| Hemlok Breach AR | Magazine reduced (white 21→20, blue 24→22, purple/gold 27→25) |
| Executioner hop-up | Peacekeeper, Mastiff — 50 shield regen on knock |
| Graffiti Mod | Now on Flatline and Volt |
| Turbocharger | Added to Nemesis (600 points) |
How to confirm the patch is applied
The Overclocked Split 2 update went live on June 23, 2026. You will know it landed when Pathfinder shows two grapple charges in his loadout, Ballistic’s Overheat only marks one weapon at a time, and the Executioner hop-up appears as a craftable option on the Mastiff and Peacekeeper. The ranked map pool also shifts to Storm Point, World’s Edge, and E-District.
Community discussion confirming the rollout and the new balance pass picked up right as the update went live.
If none of these picks fit your style, the buffs to Seer’s heartbeat sensor and tactical slow make him a viable counter to fast Legends, and the shotgun handling buffs on the EVA-8 and Mozambique reward close-range play. Stick with Pathfinder and Ballistic if you want the strongest swing from this patch, and lean on Valkyrie or Vantage when you want consistency that the nerfs left untouched.
