TL;DR
- Season 27 of Apex Legends launched on November 4, 2025
- Quite a few legends received balancing updates in Season 27, including Valkyrie, a character with the power of flight
- The Valkyrie Apex buff may make legends with ranged abilities more useful since they can easily counter her air-based powers
- Horizon and Rampart have also been buffed in Season 27, switching up the meta further
- Valkyrie is fun and powerful, so we’re offering a few tips for how to play as her effectively.
Valkyrie has been lifted into the air in Season 27: Amped, and the flight-based hero is once again back on top of the meta after a significant buff to her skill set. A few other characters have also seen changes, encouraging a new competitive meta in Apex.
If you want to play as Valkyrie effectively or you’re seeking a counter, we’ve got you covered. This guide will walk players through the best legends to use in Season 27, along with a few characters you can play to counter the competitive meta.
Valkyrie, Rampart, and Horizon are the recipients of major changes in Season 27, so these power-packed legends are currently very popular. Though Valkyrie’s buff is the most notable, the meta updates with every change to the legend roster.
Apex Valkyrie is faster and stronger than in previous seasons, so let’s look at the most important balancing changes in Season 27 and how they’ll affect competitive play in Apex Legends. For a full list of legend changes, here are the official patch notes.
Legends with notable buffs in Season 27:
- Valkyrie
- Horizon
- Rampart
Valkyrie
Valkyrie’s buff included an increase to her speed, a reduction to recharge time for the VTOL Jets, and positive changes to the Missile Swarm ability. Missile Swarm no longer hurts Valkyrie if she’s hit by it, and the launch height of Skyward Dive has been increased by 15%.
A new level 3 upgrade called Supersonic reduces Valkyrie’s ultimate launch time by 50%, while the reworked Aerial Expert upgrade improves control and offers a boost to horizontal speed but reduces maximum fuel. Overall, Valkyrie is now incredibly powerful, and you can expect to see her in the air much more often since her jetpack recharge has been reduced from 10.9 seconds to three seconds.
Horizon
Horizon’s Black Hole has received 50 more HP, and 30 seconds have been taken off its cooldown time. Additionally, the speed of her Gravity Lift has been increased to 375 from 300, and the cooldown time has been reduced from 25 seconds to 20 seconds.
The new Gravity Boots upgrade allows Horizon to fall faster while crouched, while the Newt Scoot lets her glide upon pressing jump after Gravity Lift. Horizon is stronger than ever, so watch out for Black Holes on the battlefield.
Rampart
Rampart uses her Amped Cover to create walls, so Respawn is offering a few buffs to her signature ability. Amped Cover now adds a roof to the walls. Plus, Rampart’s new upgrade allows the Amped Cover to regenerate if it hasn’t been hit in a while, so she’s a much stronger competitor now.
Valkyrie, Horizon, and Rampart have all been buffed as of Season 27, so we’re bringing you suggestions for effective counter characters in Apex’s new meta, as of November 2025.
Counter for Valkyrie: Vantage
Countering the Apex Legend Valkyrie requires a gentle touch because she can fly into the air to escape or gain the high ground. As such, players should use ranged legends like Vantage, as her Sniper’s Mark power lets her track enemies and apply a debuff using a sniper rifle.
Valkyrie players tend to fly away, and they can easily hide since she can see every nook and cranny while in the air. Vantage can mark Valkyrie, preventing her from escaping unseen, plus sniper rifles will effectively shoot Valkyrie right out of the sky.
Counter for Horizon: Crypto
Horizon’s strongest ability is the Black Hole, so you’ll need a legend that can easily destroy it if you wish to control the battlefield. Crypto is a solid choice against Horizon because his Drone EMP destroys the Black Hole upon contact.
Crypto players can use the Neurolink and Surveillance Drone abilities to find enemies, too, so he’s a well-rounded character overall. If you need to counter Horizon’s Black Holes, then Crypto is essential.
Counter for Rampart: Fuse
Rampart’s Amped Cover is the most difficult thing to counter about this controller legend, so Fuse is a fantastic pick in Season 27. Fuse’s Knuckle Cluster ability is packed full of power, and it can swiftly destroy Amped Cover.
The Motherlode ultimate creates a circle of fire near the enemy team, trapping Rampart and securing a victory after destroying the enemy’s defences.
Conclusion
With Valkyrie controlling the skies and Rampart providing defence on the ground, the legend combinations are endless in Season 27. No matter your playstyle, the November update brought a variety of changes that’ll shake up Apex just in time for the holidays.
To effectively fight Apex Legends’ Valkyrie, you’ll need to use legends like Vantage that can counter her most powerful abilities, so learning a few new characters will be key to success in the latest season.
FAQs
How to play Valkyrie Apex Legends?
To compete effectively as Valkyrie in Apex Legends, players should use her flight to gain the high ground and scout for enemy players while airborne. Avoid being spotted by foes around the map by limiting your time in the air for the best chance at survival.
How to master Valkyrie’s abilities in Apex Legends?
The key to mastering Valkyrie’s abilities is to combine them. For example, use the VTOL Jets to fly into the air, then activate the Missile Swarm ability to disrupt enemies on the ground. Combining Valkyrie’s powers together is the best way to win in a 1V1 fight.
What strategies use Valkyrie effectively?
Horizon and Valkyrie pair well with each other, offering opportunities for strategy. Horizon can activate her Black Hole to pull surrounding enemies to a target location, after which Valkyrie should use her Missile Swarm from high in the sky to damage enemies trapped by Horizon.