Apex Legends Evo Shield: How Does It Work & Is It Worth It? [Guide]

Note: Evo Shields have been updated several times since this article was written as has the Level 4 (gold) armor. Much of the info that follows may not be valid for the version of the game you’re currently playing.

The Apex Legends System Override event brought with it, in addition to a fresh limited-time game mode called Deja Loot and a bunch of new cosmetics, an all-new item called the Evo Shield, which evolves through three stages based on damage dealt. The special armor starts weaker than a Level 1 Body Shield, eventually growing stronger than a Level 3 armor.

That all sounds simple enough, but there is more to the shield than just an extra bar of HP. How much damage do you need to deal per stage? How much to fully evolve it? Is it worth it to equip an Evo Shield early in the game? Is it better than a Level 4 (gold) Body Shield? We answer all these questions and more in what follows.

Apex Legends Evo Shield (red armor) guide

What is the Damage Required to Fully Evolve an Evo Shield?

The Evo Shield progresses through three stages before reaching a fourth, fully evolved form – the red Level 5 shield.

The total damage required to fully upgrade an Evo Shield is 900, which carries over between players. This means that if an ally or enemy adds progress to an Evo Shield, that progress remains intact if they drop the shield or it is looted from their Death Box.

Following are the four stages of the Evo Shield and the amount of damage you need for each evolution.

  • White (25 HP): At spawn
  • Blue (50 HP): After 100 damage is dealt
  • Purple (100 HP): After 300 additional damage is dealt
  • Red (125 HP): After 500 additional damage is dealt
Apex Legends Evo Shield damage per stage

Damaging downed enemies does not count toward Evo Shield progress, though dealing damage to Gibraltar’s Gun Shield does. Each time the Evo Shield evolves to a new stage, its added HP needs to be recharged.

One interesting thing to note is that a single tick of damage done near the end of one stage will not overflow into progress for the next one. To elaborate, if you have 50 damage left to the next stage and you deal a 100 damage with your next shot, the shield will only count the 50 damage that it needed to evolve. The remaining 50 damage will not be counted toward progress for the following stage.

How to Spot an Evo Shield on the Ground or on an Enemy

An Evo Shield has a constant glow around it that sets it apart from regular shields.

When damaging an enemy who has an Evo Shield equipped, you will see a slightly different icon appear beside your hit markers.

Evo Shield hit marker
Evo Shield hit marker

Is the Evo Shield Worth It?

The Evo Shield starts off weaker than a Level 1 (white) Body Shield. Although it does grow to become stronger than a Level 3 shield, it takes multiple fights to get there, some of which may be against enemies with Level 2 or better armor, which will put you at a disadvantage if your Evo Shield hasn’t been upgraded to Level 3.

A Level 2 or better shield is, in most cases, a better choice than a white or blue Evo Shield. A Level 4 (gold) shield is still arguably the strongest body shield. A red Evo Shield may have 25 additional HP, but the gold shield’s fast-heal capability more than makes up for that difference. There are certain instances where an Evo Shield may be preferable, however.

You may want to opt for an Evo Shield if, for instance:

  • You can’t find another Body Shield early in the game
  • You have a Level 1 (white) Body Shield equipped and find a blue Evo Shield
  • You have a Level 2 (blue) Body Shield equipped and find a purple Evo Shield or a blue Evo Shield that is a few ticks of damage away from evolving to purple
  • You have a Level 3 (purple) Body Shield equipped and find a purple or red Evo Shield
Evo Shield replacing

Did this post help you? You may also like to check out our comprehensive compilation of Apex Legends tips and tricks here: Top 100+ Apex Legends Tips And Tricks [Mega Guide].

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Sameed Khan

I write, game, design at times, and revel in sarcasm. You can find me on Twitter.