March 20, 2024
Apex Legends continually evolves its gameplay, and Season 20 has introduced some big changes. Following the recent season 18 ranked revamp, Season 20 introduces Legend upgrades. These upgrades, earned during the game by upgrading your EVO shield, empower your Legend, allowing for strategic enhancement as the battle progresses.
Credit: EA
Understanding the Tiers
Before we delve into the specifics, remember that this article is written from my point of view. Let’s take a quick look at the tier list:
- S Tier: Lifeline, Valkyrie, Bloodhound
- A Tier: Bangalore, Conduit, Loba, Horizon, Catalyst, Wraith, Fuse, Horizon, Caustic, Pathfinder
- B Tier: Maggie, Octane, Seer, Revenant, Rampart, Ash, Wattson, Mirage, Gibraltar
- C Tier: Vantage, Newcastle, Crypto
All characters are viable to play, so the most important thing is to choose the one you feel most comfortable with and know how to get the most out of their abilities (or the one you find the most fun). As an example, one of my favorite legends is Seer. Still, you won’t see him in any online rankings as Tier S or even Tier A (not even me puts him there) because he doesn’t have an easy-to-use skill set that gives him that much of an advantage compared to other legends. I have won games with Seer and faced other more commonly used legends, so this article is not written in stone.
Now, let’s explore the top Legends in each tier.
S Tier
Lifeline
Credit: EA
Having Lifeline on your team is a game-changer. She excels among all the supports. Despite removing her res shield in Season 9, she can still revive two players simultaneously while continuing the fight.
With the new upgrade system, Lifeline has some powerful perks that can change the game’s outcome altogether, like a self-revive or the option to transform your next care package into a Supply drop and get those juicy legendary weapons.
Valkyrie
Credit: EA
Valkyrie remains a strong pick, holding her S Tier spot. Her Ultimate allows you and your teammates to launch into the sky for redeployment. Her jetpack passive enables Valkyrie to reach any spot on the map instantly, providing a positioning advantage. However, the loudness of the jetpacks and the inability to fire weapons while using them is a drawback.
Her tactical unleashes mini rockets that stun enemies, setting them up for easy elimination, with the ability to rotate instantly with the squad and gain high ground effortlessly. Her new perks are not game-changing, but she already had a robust belt of abilities, so they improve them altogether.
Bloodhound
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Bloodhound remains one of the best legends in the game and is one of my favorites. They provide an invaluable amount of information to the team and have an easy-to-use kit that makes them a good pick for any situation. You’ll never regret having a Bloodhound on the team.
The new perks’ Tactical Cooldown’ and ‘Odin’s Glare’ have a very impactful effect on the core of Bloodhounds’ kit: their Tactical Ability. So, I recommend choosing these whenever you can.
A Tier
Bangalore
Credit: EA
Bangalore was always a very balanced legend, with a mix of aggressive and defensive utility. Now, with the addition of Legend Upgrades, two new perks make her a pretty unstoppable legend.
For the best results, you should get the ‘-25% Ult cooldown’ and ‘Auto-ping enemies who trigger passive.’ Auto-ping is very important to know where you are being shot from and to plan and strategize.
Conduit
Credit: EA
Introduced in Season 19, Conduit is a breath of fresh air. While not a revolutionary change to the meta, It proves useful and, more importantly, very fun to play.
Though her abilities may not always secure victories, the advantages of having her shield-granting powers on your side are noteworthy. Her Ultimate deploys devices that damage shields and slow enemies, offering some zoning capabilities.
Her perks are not notably overpowered, but, as with Valkyrie, they don’t break the character.
Loba
Credit: EA
Loba is still one of my favorite Legends. With her Tactical Ability, you can quickly reposition wherever you want. The ultimate doesn’t have much cooldown and is incredibly useful, especially for low-elo players like me, who move around platinum-gold and are mostly comfortable with specific weapons and equipment.
Perks give her minor improvements to her ultimate and tactical, which make her even better.
Horizon
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Although she has been widely used by the Apex Legends players since she was introduced in Season 7, she’s been less seen since the Season 9 nerfs.
She’s still highly popular among higher-ranked players, and if you can figure out how to use her abilities properly to take advantage of them, I would put her in the S tier. However, I’m so bad with her and the Gravity Lift that I mainly use it to reposition myself safely and throw a good ultimate (her ultimate is so good, it makes no sense).
Catalyst
Credit: EA
My favorite controller. When used as a defensive team, her passive allows for a quick defense of your position. Ultimate is an effective counter against Bloodhound’s and Seer’s scanning abilities, and Q helps with the defense of entrance points or even for a quick burst of damage in close combat.
Wraith
Credit: EA
Wraith has consistently been among the best in each Apex Legends season. Widely chosen across skill levels, Wraith excels in team battles by strategically infiltrating backlines or flanking opponents with her Tactical. Her passive helps your team prepare for an upcoming fight or be the one to start it.
Fuse
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Fuse can stack extra grenades and launch them as a slingshot. His ultimate creates a fiery ring, providing area denial. It is fairly easy to avoid it and escape, but while the enemies are in the ring, you can track their movements. His knuckle cluster features two charges, and it’s an incredible ability to corner enemies in tight areas.
Caustic
Credit: EA
In a well-coordinated team setup, a skilled Caustic proves decisive, particularly with the heightened danger of his Gas. He provides constant unexpected damage through his Gas tanks, can surprise enemies with his ultimate, and can see through his Gas. He’s very dangerous, and if he plays well, he can be the difference between victory and defeat.
Pathfinder
Credit: EA
He’s, without any doubt, a fun legend choice. He has unparalleled mobility with his grapple. Mastery of the grapple allows for swift escapes or aggressive pushes against opponents. However, other Legends like Wraith, Loba, Valkyrie, Ash, or Octane might now excel in rapid getaways. While Pathfinder’s on-paper movement is still unmatched, the Zipline Ultimate (similar to Wraith’s portal) provides a team-wide exit strategy or access to challenging locations. Remember that teammates and enemies can use the zipline, so you can be followed wherever you go.
Conclusion
As Apex Legends continues to evolve, so does the meta. This Season 20 tier list is a snapshot of the current landscape, but future updates and new Legends will undoubtedly shape the game’s dynamics. Choose your Legend as you see fit, adapt to the ever-changing meta, and may your squad emerge victorious in the Apex Games!