Summary

  • Crypto's invisibility buff in Apex Legends Season 22 may lead to a potential nerf due to player concerns.
  • The increased pick rate of Crypto has caused issues with players using invisibility for "ratting" in Season 22.
  • Despite no official confirmation, potential nerfs to Crypto's kit highlight player dissatisfaction with some Legend changes in Season 22.

Crypto, a Recon character from the hit battle royale Apex Legends, may be receiving a nerf for his kit soon. Crypto recently received a buff with the launch of Season 22 in Apex Legends that granted him invisibility, but this change has been rumored to have been too much and may receive a rollback in some form soon.

The launch of Season 22 for Apex Legends was a divisive one, mostly due to the controversial changes to Apex Legend's Battle Pass that were being planned. Once this decision was rescinded, the hype for the new season grew, but the game suffered a turbulent launch for Season 22 due to issues with Ranked mode. In terms of content, Season 22 brought a new map, new weapon, and various balance changes to the game. One such balance change was for the often under-utilized Crypto. While Crypto is a powerful Recon unit, able to surveil from a distance, collect Respawn Banners at low risk, and has a powerful ultimate ability, using any of these leaves him incredibly vulnerable. Season 22 looked to rectify this by giving Crypto the ability to become invisible when he uses his Drone to make the player less exposed and defenseless when using his abilities.

As reported by Dexerto, Crypto is set to be hit with nerfs to his invisibility, according to Apex Legends eSports player Hakis. Hakis claims Respawn itself told him that it is planning to nerf Crypto's invisibility "soon." The changes he received in Season 22 made him one of the most-picked characters in Apex Legends, contrasting his underperformance over the last few years. The ability to go invisible when using the drone allows the Crypto player to worry less when scouting, but it has also resulted in an increase in "ratting" (a term used for players who spend most of the match hiding away) and sees Crypto being used in more aggressive ways by abusing the invisibility in times such as the final ring fight.

Apex Legends Players Are Unhappy With Some Legend Changes

While there have been a lot of issues with various Legends in Season 22, the issues with Crypto have been from a more deliberate change. Season 22 of Apex Legends has seen bugs with Newcastle that made one of his upgrades non-functional, as well as bugs for Rampart and Vantage that made their ultimates invisible and silent. Meanwhile, the introduction of health bars to the game has been an indirect nerf for deception-based characters such as Mirage. The Crypto change is one in a long line that some players of Apex Legends are unhappy with, but time will tell if these changes will be reversed.

There is no official word from Respawn themselves whether this nerf is coming, but given how much Crypto's pick rate has increased and how many players are putting forward concerns about his new power, it's not outside the realm of possibility. Crypto has always been one of Apex Legend's more complex characters to play, and while the buff has made him more accessible, it may have been taken a little too far.

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Battle Royale
First-Person Shooter
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Systems
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Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 74%
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Released
February 4, 2019
ESRB
T for Teen: Blood, Violence
Developer(s)
Respawn Entertainment
Publisher(s)
Electronic Arts
Engine
Source on console/PC, Unreal Engine 4 on mobile
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
PC, PS4, Switch & Xbox One
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Conquer with character in Apex Legends, a free-to-play* Hero shooter where legendary characters with powerful abilities team up to battle for fame & fortune on the fringes of the Frontier.

Master an ever-growing roster of diverse legends, deep tactical squad play, and bold new innovations that go beyond the Battle Royale experience—all within a rugged world where anything goes. Welcome to the next evolution of Hero Shooter.

This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items, including a random selection of virtual in-game items.

Cross Save
Cross Progression lets you share your game progress across PC, PlayStation®, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch
Steam Deck Compatibility
yes
Genre(s)
Battle Royale, First-Person Shooter
X|S Optimized
yes
PS Plus Availability
N/A