A Legend in the Shadows
Things aren’t looking so good for one of the original legends in Apex Legends. Caustic, the gaseous warrior, has seen better days, and his current status in the game reflects that. According to Apex Legends Status, Caustic’s pick rate is a mere 0.6 percent in all modes, making him the second-least picked legend in the game. The situation is even more dire at higher ranks, where Master and Predator players are choosing him only 0.2 percent of the time. This is a significant drop of about 30 percent over the last week or two in those ranks.
The Decline of Caustic
The reasons for Caustic’s decline are multifaceted, but the primary issue is the reduced effectiveness of his gas. In a recent post on the Apex subreddit, one player succinctly summarized the problem: "He’s useless, his ult and tactical barely do any damage, don’t slow you down or impair vision." The only real utility Caustic offers now is pressuring a team that’s already close to death and blocking doors with his traps. This is far from the impactful role he once played.
Historical Context
Caustic’s gas damage was nerfed in season 21, nearly a full year ago. The damage from his gas was reduced from a ramping uncapped number to a maximum of 10 damage per tick. This change allowed players to stick around and fight in the gas for much longer, significantly diminishing Caustic’s effectiveness. However, the decline in Caustic’s play wasn’t sudden; it was a steady drop that only really flatlined at the beginning of the current season.
Game Changes and Their Impact
While Caustic hasn’t changed much since the Upheaval update, the game around him has undergone significant transformations. Season 24 introduced sweeping changes to the Assault class, giving Assault legends the ability to reveal enemy health bars to their team and a speed boost on cracking enemy shields. These changes effectively render Caustic’s gas utility for blocking vision useless. Characters like Ash can now zoom around in a fight without being slowed by Caustic’s gas, further diminishing his effectiveness.
The Faster Game and Caustic’s Kit
The changes made to make Apex a much faster game in season 24 don’t align well with Caustic’s current kit. His abilities are designed to slow down fights and guarantee resets for his team if a teammate gets knocked. However, even if a reset is achieved, characters like Lifeline or Newcastle are far more proficient at ensuring revives. Lifeline, in particular, is currently the second-most picked character in the game, highlighting the preference for more supportive and mobile legends.
Looking Forward
It doesn’t seem like life is going to get any easier for Caustic in the near future. Respawn has already announced that the Skirmisher class is due for a revamp following the big Assault and Support class changes, and the Recon class will be next. Both of these classes can make Caustic’s life a living hell. Skirmishers provide high mobility, and Recon characters can see through smoke, negating Caustic’s vision-blocking utility. Unless significant buffs are introduced specifically for Caustic, it might be time for players to consider dropping him completely if they haven’t already.
