Respawn’s Lead Game Designer working on Apex Legends has confirmed that Interdimensional Skirmisher Wraith is no longer the game’s most popular character, for “pretty much” the first time since launch.
While much has changed across Apex Legends’ eight seasons, the popularity of Wraith has been one constant. The Legend possesses the ability to open rifts between different locations, as well as hearing ‘voices from the void’, which warns her when danger is approaching.
These abilities, paired with her smaller hitbox, have resulted in her being at the top of the Apex Legends’ roster, in terms of popularity and strength.
Despite the addition of Low Profile (and Fortified for larger legends), she has retained her popularity and left Respawn scratching their heads as to how to balance her sufficiently.
As part of their strategy to make her more balanced, Respawn chose to slightly increase her hitbox at the beginning of Season 8. It appears that these nerfs had a serious impact on her position in Apex Legends.
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During a discussion focusing on Caustic’s balance, Klein revealed that the Wraith nerf has seen her drop from the most picked character by some distance, to the fourth-most popular choice.
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“[Caustic’s] pick rate had always been a solid middle of the pack one,” he said, “but with the introduction of Fuse and the Wraith nerf shaking pick rates up a bit (Wraith went from highest, where she’d been for pretty much all of Apex’s existence, to fourth highest!), Caustic now sports the 5th highest pick rate as well.”
One can assume, then, that Fuse, Wraith and Caustic occupy three of the top five most picked legends. Lifeline, Gibraltar, Bloodhound and Horizon seem like candidates to be in or around the top five, but we won’t know for certain unless Respawn choose to disclose a more detailed list.
Horizon will undoubtedly be right near the top, likely number one overall. Meanwhile, out-of-favor characters like Rampart wallow at the bottom, but Respawn have confirmed more buffs are coming.
What is certain, though, is that Wraith’s popularity has finally taken a significant hit thanks to her Season 8 nerf.