Free Fire April 2026 update: Garena nerfs Nero and shifts meta

Ronny Rolim
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:35:06 +0530

Free Fire update nerfs Nero, adjusts skills, and shifts the competitive meta starting April 8, 2026.

Free Fire players will face an immediate impact on gameplay starting April 8, 2026, as new changes affect abilities, strategies, and overall balance. Popular characters are being nerfed while others receive buffs, shifting the competitive meta instantly.

The update affects all modes, including ranked and tournaments, forcing players to adapt their skill combinations and playstyles. A new character also introduces more aggressive gameplay possibilities.

The changes were identified in official Garena material and analyzed by the specialized community.

Garena adjusts abilities and reshapes Free Fire meta

Official banner highlights character balance changes and Ray's arrival

Garena decided to directly adjust character balance, applying buffs and nerfs to widely used characters. The goal is to reduce dominant advantages and encourage new strategies.

The April update reduces dominant abilities and forces an immediate shift in the Free Fire meta.

Affected characters in the update

Buff: Shani, Dasha, Jota

Nerf: Nero, Koda, Moco, Shirou, Otho

Highlight: Nero nerf responds to long-standing community demand

The Nero nerf stands out as a recurring request from players. However, Garena has not revealed technical details yet, confirming only that the character’s ability will be reduced in this update.

New character Ray introduces aggressive gameplay

Ray is designed for fast eliminations and aggressive playstyles

The new character Ray introduces a skill focused on direct combat and fast eliminations, featuring a unique enemy-link mechanic.

Marks an enemy and creates a direct link

Quickly eliminates when HP reaches a threshold

Resets cooldown after elimination

Grants healing bonus during the effect

Ray is designed for aggressive players and is expected to stand out in ranked matches.

A124 rework changes combat dynamics

The character A124 receives a complete rework:

Fires an electromagnetic pulse

Silences enemies

Reveals enemy location

Increases movement speed

This change makes A124 a stronger strategic option for combat control.

Update follows Garena’s recent balance strategy

These changes follow Garena’s recent approach of continuously adjusting game balance based on player behavior and internal data. Previous updates already reduced dominant abilities to diversify gameplay.

The analyzed content suggests this is part of a larger balance patch that may receive further adjustments after release.

What players should do now

Review character combinations before ranked matches

Test Ray and aggressive strategies

Avoid builds relying on nerfed characters

Monitor post-update adjustments

The changes go live on April 8 and may be adjusted based on community feedback.