Apex Legends: the six Advanced Hunt EVO Wildcards — which one to pick at drop-in based on your Legend and weapon

The Advanced Hunt event in Apex Legends will run from August 18 to September 8, and its contribution boils down to one sentence: in Mixtape mode, you choose an EVO-upgraded perk at drop, then level it up by collecting EVO. Six perks are on offer, and the right choice depends on your Legend and the weapon you hope to find.

EA sums up the intent as follows: these perks "will give you the ability to progressively strengthen certain traits of your Legend," and "the longer a Legend survives, the more they can unlock and upgrade their various powers." The EVO layer thus rewards lifespan, not the number of engagements: it rewards patient play, running counter to the pace Mixtape mode has gotten you used to.

On August 8 we published a complete guide to Mixtape mode in Season 30 Hunted: this article only covers what the EVO layer adds on top of it.

The six EVO Perks can be identified by their label, and the choice takes only a few seconds

The selection happens during the drop, under pressure: it's worth knowing the six labels in advance, in their official wording.

• Hip Fire + EVO: Reduce your hip fire spread.
• Critical Hits + EVO: Increase your chances of landing critical hits.
• Shield Regen + EVO: Speed up your shield regeneration.
• Lifesteal + EVO: Increase your lifesteal percentage.
• Propelled Climbs + EVO: Launch yourself higher and farther.
• Slide Boosts + EVO: Slide farther and faster.

A warning is in order: EA has not published any numerical values — not the gain from one level, not the number of tiers, not the EVO needed to reach them. What follows therefore reasons about the direction of each effect, never its magnitude.

Lifesteal and Critical Hits only pay off for those who seek contact

The Lifesteal + EVO perk is the most "all or nothing" of the six. It feeds off damage dealt: if your bullets miss, it's worth nothing; if they connect for a long time, it becomes the best life insurance on the list. It calls for a high fire-rate weapon, close-quarters combat, and a Legend capable of pushing into a building and staying there — Wraith, Ash, Alter, or Octane get far more out of it than a player camping fifty meters away.

The Critical Hits + EVO perk follows a different logic. The label speaks of "chances," meaning probability: the more bullets you send, the more opportunities the effect has to trigger. This perk is therefore tailor-made for high fire-rate automatics — the Havoc, the L-STAR, the Alternator, or the R-301 benefit from it more than a Bocek or a 30-30 Repeater, where shot volume is low. A word of caution: EA does not specify either the base rate or what a critical hit multiplies. It's a comfort bonus, not the backbone of a match.

The two mobility perks are worth it mainly for Legends that lack any

Boosted Ziplines + EVO is the perk whose value depends most on your pick. On Valkyrie, Horizon, Pathfinder, or Octane, it overlaps with a kit that already gets you up high. On Legends stuck on the ground — Lifeline, Conduit, Caustic, Wattson, Newcastle, Gibraltar — it changes everything: reaching a rooftop without a zipline means an unwatched angle and an escape route when the enemy pushes from below.

Slide Boosts + EVO is even more conditional, since it depends on the terrain: slopes let you slide, flat ground much less so. This is a rotation and disengagement perk more than a duel perk: it gets you out of an exposed zone before the third squad catches you in a pincer. Here, mobility serves less to engage than to stay alive long enough to level up the perk.

Shield Regen is the choice that best fits the event's logic

One principle sums up Advanced Hunt: progression rewards survival. Shield Regen + EVO aligns most clearly with that. Shortening the downtime between two engagements means getting back into a fight left hanging that much faster. It serves control and support Legends who hold a position and absorb waves of damage, as well as players who often end up the last survivor of their squad. It's also the safest choice when you don't know which weapon you'll pick up, since it doesn't depend on any loadout.

Wild Shots fixes a weapon flaw, and it's a bet made too early

Wild Shots + EVO answers a specific situation: the enemy pops up three meters away, you don't have time to aim, and the spread settles the duel for you. It benefits SMGs, shotguns, and heavy weapons that aren't comfortably aimed on the move, and brings almost nothing to the precision player who spends the match aiming down sights, Bocek or 30-30 Repeater in hand.

Its problem is structural: the perk is chosen at drop, before you know what the ground will offer. Betting on a weapon-tied effect amounts to gambling, whereas a Legend-tied effect — mobility, shield — relies on information you already have. That's the first decision rule.

Deciding in three seconds: the priority order to apply at drop

1. Legend with no vertical mobility, closed-off positions? Boosted Ziplines.
2. You play close-quarters entries and hold your own in duels? Lifesteal.
3. You play for endgame and re-peeking angles? Shield Regen.
4. You'll definitely be looking for a high-fire-rate automatic? Critical Hits.
5. You mostly survive hallway surprises? Wild Shots.
6. Rotation map with elevation and lots of movement? Slide Boosts.

Leveling up your perk means accepting a slower pace than usual

Leveling up relies on two actions: picking up the EVO you come across, and staying alive. The first is a looting reflex, the second a discipline — a level 1 perk on a living player beats a maxed-out perk never reached. Refuse three-squad fights, fall back as soon as the window closes, take the zone early. The matches where your perk will matter are the ones you play for a long time.

Apex Bruddah, 24 cosmetics, and a dedicated rewards shop

The top reward is Gibraltar's Prestige skin, "Apex Bruddah": a golden armor set with 3 tiers, featuring a custom finisher and its own jump smoke.

The event brings 24 new cosmetic items, of which EA only details twelve: Legendary skins for Valkyrie, Conduit, Wraith, Alter, Lifeline, and Horizon, and weapon skins for the R-301, the Havoc, the Alternator, the L-STAR, the Bocek, and the 30-30 Repeater. The other twelve are not listed in the press release. Added to this is an Advanced Hunt reward shop: event packs, Battle Pass stars and crafting materials, plus an Epic skin for Mad Maggie and a new banner frame.

EA has not published any token pricing: be wary of the figures that will circulate

On the event's economy, the press release only states this: "Earn tokens throughout the event to unlock items". EA does not say how tokens are earned, gives no amounts, and does not publish the cost of the Prestige skin: any progression chart published before August 18 will be a mere estimate. We will update this guide as soon as the pricing is known.

Key dates to note

• Tuesday, August 18: Advanced Hunt opens and EVO-upgraded jokers are activated.
• From August 18 to September 8: three weeks of event, with the Kings Canyon, E-District, and Broken Moon rotation.
• Tuesday, September 8: last day of the Advanced Hunt event.