Apex Legends players reveal which characters desperately need changing

As Apex Legends’ Season 3 meta continues to settle, players are figuring out just which legends are the best on World’s Edge, and the consensus is some have been over-tuned, while others have been left behind.

Everyone wants to play the best characters in their games as they march towards being crowned Champion of the Arena, whether it be because their favorite legends are extra-powerful, or they’re changing to the meta choices.

Now, the results of a survey published to the Apex Legends subreddit by user ‘DYSPROssium’ has revealed which of the eleven characters the community believes need to be hit with nerfs, and which could use a bit more love.

Of the cast of colorful characters, there are three legends that need major buffs to make their mark on the 60-player battle royale, the community has revealed.

Chief among them is Mirage, the loveable trickster whos playstyle is based around fooling enemies with clones, and never stops talking in-game. According to the survey results, 91% of players want to see the Holographic Trickster improved, while not a single person involved in the survey suggested he needed any nerfs.

Mirage is in dire need of some help in the meta, the survey’s results revealed.

Behind Mirage come Bloodhound (82%) and Crypto (68%), both of whom are designed to help gather information for the team. Players identified Bloodhound’s Eye of the Allfather needed tweaking numbers-wise, while they added Crypto’s Surveillance Drone simply isn’t valuable enough to pick the newly-added legend.

If they could have just one buff, however, it would be for Mirage’s skills — Encore, which turns you invisible for five seconds while downed, and his ultimate Vanishing Act, which fires out a half-dozen fake clones in a circle.

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According to the survey, 68% suggested Mirage’s passive invisibility didn’t really do anything, considering once you were down, hiding for five seconds wasn’t going to change much, while 66% said his ultimate wasn’t game-changing enough compared to other legends.

91% of surveyed players suggested Mirage could use a boost to his numbers.

While Mirage, Bloodhound, and Crypto aren’t ‘game-changing’ enough in the eyes of many players, there are a few members of Respawn’s battle royale cast that completely fit that bill, through high-mobility or super-powerful abilities.

First off the list is Pathfinder, with 56% of respondents believing the plucky robot scout dubbed “too strong” because of his Grappling Hook ability, which allows him to zip around close combats, and cover World’s Edge with ease.

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Players also voted that his ability was too powerful (77% of respondents), his small hitbox provides too much advantage (39%), and that on top of that, his support abilities like his Zipline Gun ult adds too many benefits for his teammates (30%).

Apex players blamed Pathfinder’s powerful Zipline Gun, and Grappling Hook, for his over-tuned state.

Wraith, who also boasts a small hitbox and hyper-mobile abilities, was second in the list of ‘needs nerfs,’ with 35% of respondents believing she could be tuned better to make her a more balanced choice in ranked and competitive play.

The Interdimensional Skirmisher and her speedy Pathfinder teammate were joined in the top three by Gibraltar, who was fired to the top of the meta in Season 2 when he had his large hitbox supplemented by the ‘Fortified’ passive.

From those players who dubbed Gibby too powerful in his current state, 78% suggested his over-tuned nature came from his protective Gun Shield passive, which deploys an energy shield above his weapon to protect his chest and head.

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It’s interesting to see the Kiwi brawler has been launched to the top of the tier lists, considering when he was first released he was considered one of the worst characters in the game: a true testament to the value of buffs, and nerfs.

Gibby has risen like a phoenix on the tier list since his recent changes.

Not every character in the game is too far down either end of the spectrum though, according to the survey — Apex Legends players apparently enjoy Lifeline (85% voted ‘balanced’) and Bangalore (83%) as they are.

Caustic, Octane, and Wattson were all added to the ‘balanced’ pile, though 46% of respondents suggested Octane could use a minor tweak. Overall, however, the middle pack of legends were ruled either ‘balanced’ or ‘minor tweaks.’

Could use nerfs

• Pathfinder: 56% balanced, 3% needs buffs, 41% needs nerfs
• Wraith: 60% balanced, 5% needs buffs, 35% needs nerfs
• Gibraltar: 68% balanced, 9% needs buffs, 23% needs nerfs

Balanced

• Lifeline: 85% balanced, 11% needs buffs, 4% needs nerfs
• Bangalore: 83% balanced, 16% needs buffs, 1% needs nerfs
• Caustic: 67% balanced, 25% needs buffs, 8% needs nerfs
• Wattson: 54% balanced, 43% needs buffs, 3% needs nerfs
• Octane: 53% balanced, 46% needs buffs, 1% needs nerfs

Could use buffs

• Mirage: 9% balanced, 91% needs buffs, 0% needs nerfs
• Bloodhound: 18% balanced, 82% needs buffs, 0% needs nerfs
• Crypto: 30% balanced, 68% needs buffs, 2% needs nerfs

Could we see a new legend take over the meta if these suggested changes went through?

It’s also worth remembering there were just 1,936 respondents to the survey, while EA has estimated 8-10 million log in to the battle royale every week, meaning this is a very small percentage of the player base.

Overall, however, it’s a good indication of what maybe a little too strong, or a little poor, in the current Season 3 meta, and if Respawn ducks their head in and checks out the stats, they may be inspired to buff or nerf some of their legends.

For now, it also presents players with an option: grab someone like Pathfinder or Wraith, and know you’re taking the best into World’s Edge, or pick up a weaker legend like Mirage and Crypto, and make it taste all the sweeter when you win.