Respawn Entertainment confirms changes to Crypto, EVA-8 nerfs

Respawn Entertainment has some big news for Apex Legends players.

The perpetually underpowered Crypto has always been useful in certain team settings, but generally hasn’t been as powerful as other legends. That might finally be changing, though. In the latest episode of Apex Uncut podcast live balance designer at Respawn Entertainment, John Larson has revealed that some massive changes in the pipeline.  

Crypto isn’t a flawed legend who lacks an effective kit, yet his pick rate shows that players prefer other heroes over the genius hacker. Respawn believes that it’s the nature of his character that drives his low pick rate, not necessarily actual weakness. The scout character sees less playtime in casual games but is highly valued in high ELO ranked matches. Currently, Crypto is one of the least popular legends in Apex, coming in before Rampart. Still, some changes to the character may be coming to make him more appealing to the reptilian masses.

“I think Crypto, more than many characters, we’re pretty okay with him being a niche, off-meta pick, because in a fast-paced FPS shooter, a lot of us are just dumb lizard-brain people that like shooting bad guys. Crypto is far too cerebral for my taste,” Larson said. 

The developer argued that not being popular among the players doesn’t necessarily mean that a legend is weak. In certain situations, Crypto can be a gamechanger. However, Respawn still wants to bolster his pick rate and popularity among the players in upcoming patches. His tactical ability surveillance may see some tweaks in the future, which will allow him to assist his teammates better. 

EVA-8 might be on Respawn Entertainment’s nerf radar

EVA-8 can be a deadly weapon to play against in Apex Legends. The shotgun deals heavy damage and has a low-skill ceiling, which can be a nuisance for high-ranked players. After the Mastiff and Peacekeeper nerfs, EVA-8 quickly became the ultimate “troll weapon.” Players have been asking for a nerf, and it seems that the developer has listened. 

“We buffed it, and we’re saying ‘hey, use the freaking EVA-8 guys, try out something other than a Mastiff and see how it goes.’ But yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised to see something for that in the future,” Larson said when asked about nerfs to the EVA-8. 

The developer hasn’t specified what will be changed, but he agrees that the weapon can be potent in close combat and may take a hit from the nerf hammer soon. It’s unknown when these tweaks will be implemented, but Crypto mains and EVA-8 spammers should gear up to deal with some changes.