On December 16, 2021, Apex Legends update 1.85 began rolling out across all supported platforms. It was a small download, but it carried a big responsibility: cleaning up a handful of bugs and, more importantly, putting a stop to an exploit that had turned the Rampage LMG and Sentinel into absolute monsters. Fast forward to 2026, and that patch reads like a time capsule from a wilder era of the Outlands.
Players had to grab a quick patch before diving back into matches. There was no shiny new legend, no map overhaul, and no fresh battle pass. Instead, Respawn focused on stability and fairness. The Raiders Collection Event was still in full swing, having launched just a week earlier, and it was set to wrap up on December 21. So if someone wanted Winter Express chaos or pirate-themed skins, they had to enjoy it while it lasted.
What Update 1.85 Actually Fixed
Some patches are forgettable. This one was not, at least for anyone who had been on the receiving end of an infinitely charged Sentinel. Respawn used update 1.85 to address a variety of client and server errors, custom reticle colors resetting in some instances, controller players being unable to ping in deathboxes or Loba's Black Market, an exploit to retain cells or thermite used while charging the Rampage or Sentinel, and an issue with the Wave Shift Wraith skin.
| Bug or Exploit | What It Did | The Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Client and server errors | Random disconnects and instability | General stability improvements |
| Custom reticle colors resetting | Player settings wiped in some cases | Reticle colors now stick |
| Controller ping issues | Controller players could not ping inside deathboxes or Loba's Black Market | Ping functionality restored |
| Rampage and Sentinel charge exploit | Players could retain cells or thermite while charging, leading to infinite charge | Exploit removed |
| Wave Shift Wraith skin issue | Cosmetic problem with the skin | Skin issue addressed |
The Rampage LMG and Sentinel were already strong. The Rampage could be charged with a thermite grenade for a temporary fire-rate boost. The Sentinel could be charged with a shield cell for extra damage. But players found a way to keep the charge going indefinitely, essentially retaining the consumed item while still getting the buff. That meant a Rampage that never stopped spitting fire, or a Sentinel that hit like a truck every single shot. In a battle royale, that is not just annoying; it is game-breaking.
Respawn stepped in and removed the exploit. The fix prevented players from retaining cells or thermite used while charging those weapons. It was a simple line in the patch notes, but it restored a lot of sanity to matches. Other fixes included client and server errors, custom reticle colors resetting, controller players being unable to ping in deathboxes or Loba's Black Market, and an issue with the Wave Shift Wraith skin. None of these were flashy, but together they smoothed out the experience. That was a headache for everyone involved, and the fix was welcome.
No New Content, and That Was Fine
Update 1.85 did not add a new legend, weapon, or map. That was by design. The Raiders Collection Event had just kicked off, bringing Winter Express back and introducing pirate-themed cosmetics. With the event ending on December 21, players had less than a week to unlock everything they wanted. So the December 16 patch was about maintenance, not marketing.
In a live-service game, not every update needs to be a spectacle. Sometimes the best thing a developer can do is make sure the existing game works. Update 1.85 did exactly that. It did not try to reinvent Apex Legends. It just cleaned up the mess.
Why This Patch Still Matters in 2026
By 2026, Apex Legends has changed dramatically. New legends, reworked maps, ranked systems, and countless balance passes have come and gone. Yet update 1.85 remains a useful case study. It shows how a single exploit can warp a meta, and how a small patch can fix it without adding anything new. Live-service games live and die by these moments. Players, bless their hearts, will always find the weirdest bugs. Developers have to respond quickly, or the game suffers.
From a 2026 perspective, the Rampage and Sentinel exploit looks almost quaint. Today's Apex Legends has more complex abilities, more moving parts, and more ways for something to break. But the core lesson is the same: balance is not a one-time job. It is a constant conversation between developers and the community. What happened next in the game's long history is a topic for another article.
Final Thoughts
Update 1.85 was not a season-defining patch. It did not introduce a new legend or rewrite the meta. But it did something important: it closed a loophole that made two weapons unfairly powerful. For players who lived through that era, the fix was a relief. For anyone looking back in 2026, it is a reminder that even small patches can have a big impact.
Sometimes the best update is the one that simply lets the game work the way it is supposed to. And that is a wrap.