Apex Legends is one of the world's most popular first-person shooters. Its movement-focused gameplay is unlike any other game, and rewards good split-second decision-making. Its arsenal of weapons, though large, is fairly balanced; no one weapon is considered overpowered for too long. Even Apex Legends' maps play a large role in the game's success, as their designs are varied yet make full use of characters' move sets. Last but not least, Apex Legends is known for its diverse cast of Legends.
As of Apex Legends' twelfth season, Defiance, the game has 20 playable characters. Every new season up to this point has introduced a new Legend, each with their own place in the game's story and unique mechanics. While all Legends won't be for everyone, Respawn Entertainment has done its best to ensure there is at least one Legend in the game's roster for each player. From their abilities to their backstories, there are a few reasons players may gravitate toward a specific Legend.
Abilities Make For a Huge Variety
Each Legend has three general abilities that distinguish them from the rest of the cast. They have a passive ability that is almost always active, a tactical ability that has a short cooldown and momentarily changes the flow of combat, and an ultimate ability that gives a Legend their moment to shine. Abilities play a big role in determining whether a player will choose one character or another. They dictate how useful a Legend will be in certain situations, their versatility across any number of scenarios, and most importantly how fun they can be to play.
Using Wraith's Into the Void and Rampart's Amped Cover tactical abilities as examples, there are more instances where Wraith's ability to phase and become momentarily invincible is useful than Rampart's sluggish defensive walls. Wraith can use Into the Void to avoid fatal damage, reposition, and even give herself a small speed boost when used in conjunction with her ultimate ability: Dimensional Rift. It's no surprise that Wraith has a higher pick rate than Rampart.
However, at the end of the day Apex Legends is a video game, and players want to have fun playing as the characters they choose. Octane, while not in possession of many game-changing abilities, is fun to play and has one of the highest pick rates. His Stim tactical ability lets players give themselves a speed boost to get in or out of fights quickly. When combined with his Launch Pad ultimate, players get the feeling they are playing an adrenaline junkie who just can't stand still.
The Current Apex Legends Meta
As with any live-service game that wants to stay relevant, nerfs and buffs are commonplace in Apex Legends. Since the game is constantly changing, so too must players adapt. The current Legend meta ties heavily into how Legend abilities are balanced and changed every season, as players looking to win games tend to pick Legends who are the strongest.
Gibraltar has been a strong meta Apex Legend pick for the longest time. His Dome of Protection tactical ability provides him and his teammates with an indestructible shield, while allowing him to quickly revive downed allies. His Gun Shield passive ability, when combined with his Fortified passive perk, makes him extremely hard to take down. Lastly, enemy players looking to capitalize on a weak Gibraltar squad will have to contend with his Defensive Bombardment ultimate ability before getting anywhere near them.
Gibraltar's abilities also synergize well with other Legends. Currently, players are using his Dome of Protection in conjunction with Valkyrie's Skyward Dive ultimate to give their squad a safe spot to redeploy anywhere in the nearby vicinity. While the current Legend meta is more for ranked play, the strength of a Legend shouldn't be understated when it comes to choosing a character to main.
A Character's Looks and Narrative
It comes as no surprise that the first thing players look at when they see a new Legend is their outward appearance. Countless players spend money on skins, so it only makes sense that the default look of a character should be just as compelling. The second thing players notice about a Legend is their voice and personality, which breathe life into the character and go a long way to capturing the interest of a player.
Taking Mirage as an example, players immediately see he is a pretty boy. This is further backed once he opens his mouth and starts talking highly about himself. He talks about his fans, his supposed skills in the Apex games, and how many people would like to meet him. But as players pay more attention to Mirage's actions and words, they start to see how his jokes serve as a facade to hide something deeper.
This is where a Legend's narrative backstory comes in. While looks, voice, and personality can only get a character so far, their stories keep Apex Legends players coming back for more. In Mirage's case, he uses his antics to hide a sad life. All three of his brothers passed away in a transport ship crash, his father is noticeably absent, and his mother is suffering bouts of memory loss and dementia. Apex Legends players may be turned off by Mirage's outward personality and goofiness, but learn to appreciate him once they learn more about him.
This dedication to providing the Legends with backstories and writing evolving narratives plays a key role in Apex Legends' lore. By doing so, players can sometimes be motivated to play a Legend based on their personality alone. These are but a few of the many things that players consider when choosing to pick a character to main in Apex Legends. While abilities and their place in the current meta play a huge role, other non-gameplay factors like backstory and appearance can compel players to dedicate their time to a specific Legend.
Apex Legends is available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
