There are so many great characters to choose from in Apex Legends. Whether it be the defender style characters like Gibraltar or Caustic, fast and movement-based Legends like Octane or Pathfinder, or the tactical and unique Legends like Revenant or Bloodhound, there appears to be a character for everyone in Apex Legends. But Wraith is a whole different level.
Recently Respawn Entertainment released some data on the most played characters in Apex Legends, and the results confirmed something that most fans already expected: Wraith is number one. Because of this, Wraith is going to receive a nerf soon, which has sent some of the community into an uproar. But there is a reason why she needs a nerf and why so many players use this Legend; Wraith is just too viable.
Why Wraith is the Most Used Legend
The reason why Wraith is the most used Legend comes down to four things: her viability in solo situations, her abilities, her hitbox, and her win rate. The combination of these elements is why so many players, from ranked to public matches, enjoy playing as Wraith in Apex Legends.
While Apex Legends is a team-oriented battle royale, it is possible to have success as a bit of a loner with Wraith. Respawn Entertainment specifically designed the game with teamwork in mind, only bringing duos to the game more recently and claiming that solos isn't coming to Apex Legends any time soon. With the four character types (Assault, Scout, Defender, and Support), each Legend brings abilities and aspects to the battlefield that can be used to support teammates. Wraith can certainly be used as a team-player, but she is also extremely viable in solo situations.
Wraith's tactical makes her vanish into another dimension temporarily, which is a great way to escape any bad situation. Meanwhile, her ultimate allows her to create a Dimensional Rift, a portal so to speak, that she can use to again get in and out of tough spots. Her portals are game-changers in the middle of a hectic fight, allowing for tactical disengaging and thoughtful flanking. High-level portal play is likely what she was designed for. But in practice, her abilities are more used to simply avoid taking damage. And with her hitbox being the smallest in the game, in combination with these abilities, she becomes a character that is extremely useful and elusive. This means that Wraith players often feel an extra sense of safety and confidence and are happy to jump into a dangerous battle, knowing they can escape. This, unfortunately, also means that Wratith left her teammates behind.
Even with small adjustments from Respawn, Wraith's win rate in Apex Legends is very high, along with her pick rate. She is an excellent Legend in solo situations and her kit and hitbox encourage that style of play. On top of that, she in many ways is the face of the game. When booting up the Apex Legends, Wraith is who is usually on the start page. She seems to get legendary skins for every season and event. And she is often used by top-skilled streamers who are shooting for high damage and kills.
Why it Makes Sense to Nerf Wraith
Wraith being tricky to shoot and filled with abilities that make her elusive may be fine in it of itself. There are other Legends, like Gibraltar for example, that are built to be able to tank bullets and help take a team to victory in that way. The reason why Respawn is defending its plan to nerf Wraith likely has less to do with her overall build and more to do with how she is played. Her kit is extremely viable and likely isn't being used in the way Respawn originally intended. Some characters are perfect for specific scenarios, like Caustic in enclosed areas. Other Legends need to be used with careful consideration, like Crypto. But Wraith is someone who feels like the right choice in every single situation, and that needs to change, and a reworking of her abilities or help could help with balance.
A wise nerf will also help persuade Warith mains to be more team-focused and not run solo as often. There are other characters in Apex Legends who have the ability to run around solo with some success, like Octane (with his high speed and jump pad) and Pathfinder (with his grappling hook). But those Legends are built (and have even been nerfed) with just the right amount of balance to make it so that the players who run solo with them will self-learn when to run around solo and when it isn't wise to. When it comes to Wraith, her kit and size make it so that she's just strong enough that players who main her tend to continually jump into a dangerous firefight. And even if that Wraith somehow pulls it off, she left her teammates behind and outnumbered elsewhere.
There is a reason why Wraith is the number one most used Legend in the game. Her abilities and small hitbox make her elusive and too viable in any given gunfight, and her win rate shows this. The proper nerfing to get her hitbox, abilities, and win rate under control in a future Apex Legends update will help balance the game. While some Legends are more based on tactical play (Wattson), others are heavier on teamwork (Lifeline), and others are based on pure fun (Mirage), there shouldn't be a Legend that is picked far and away more than others based on simply how overpowered they are.
Apex Legends is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with a Switch version arriving sometime next year.