Apex Legends‘ season 16 is going to change a major part of the game’s experience with new features and significant balance changes to shift the meta.
Wraith might turn out to be the biggest winner of those changes. In the early patch notes, leaks revealed she would receive a gigantic buff on her ultimate.
It this change is introduced, her Portal’s distance will be doubled (covering 150 meters in total) and she will get a speed boost to set it up.
In a meta where teams rotate faster than ever, this could signify her big return as the undisputed queen to Apex Legends.
Taking back the crown from Valkyrie
When Apex was released, Wraith was one of the most popular and strongest Legends in the game. She mainly relied on her ultimate, which was a useful tool to enter the zone, get away from a bad fight and flee or revive allies, as well as an efficient engage ability.
She dominated both ladder and professional play for years —but her glory era would eventually come to an end with the release of Valkyrie in May 2021. Her release and the introduction of the Olympus map made her a strong pick.
Her domination was further strengthened with the release of Storm Point six months later, which is the game’s biggest map to date. There, rotating quickly is even more vital for teams, and Valkyrie is the best option to redeploy to strategic landmarks.
Season 16 will likely put an end to this trend, as it’s going to bring the biggest changes players have seen in years, completely shifting the meta.
It will introduce classes with unique passives, as well as balance changes on several Legends. Wraith and Valkyrie will both become Skirmishers, gaining a passive to see and ping high-value items. And while Wraith is getting buffed, Valkyrie will remain untouched, according to the early patch notes.
As such, the balance will heavily go on the side of Wraith. Still, the question of whether it will be enough to bring her back at the front of the meta won’t get a clear answer until the season starts and players get used to the changes.
Her Portal will cover a decent distance, but players will still be able to rotate further using Valkyrie’s Ultimate instead. On the other side, thanks to Wraith’s upcoming speed boost, she might allow faster rotations which could cause players to favor her over Valkyrie. It will all hinge on the strength of her speed boost and how her changes integrate into the overhauled meta of Season 16.
Pathfinder, for example, will also receive a buff and, depending on how much his Zipline Gun’s distance and speed are increased, he could also become the go-to-pick in professional play and on the ladder for fast rotations —providing they remain a win condition as vital as before to win matches.
