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Caustic’s Struggles in Apex Legends: A Deep Dive
In the ever-evolving realm of Apex Legends, not every character has an equal standing. As the competitive landscape shifts, some legends bask in glory while others languish in obscurity. Currently, Caustic finds himself in the latter category.
Once a favored choice among players, Caustic is now witnessing a significant decline in his pick rate, which currently hovers around 0.6 percent across all game modes. According to Apex Legends Status, Caustic ranks as the second least-picked legend, surpassed only by Seer. This trend intensifies at higher levels of play, where Master and Predator tiers show a mere 0.2 percent pick rate for him. Such figures indicate a roughly 30 percent drop in selection over the past couple of weeks in those competitive brackets.
The downturn in Caustic’s appeal can be attributed to several factors, but the most pressing concern for many players is the diminished effectiveness of his toxic gas. It’s no longer an effective deterrent in battles, as it fails to inflict damage or impair opponents’ speed and vision as it once did.
One disgruntled player voiced their frustrations on the Apex subreddit: “He’s useless; his ultimate and tactical abilities barely deal damage, and they don’t slow you down or impair vision.” Such sentiments have become common among Caustic enthusiasts who are facing similar disappointments. The only viable strategy they see now is using his gas to pressure weakened opponents or to obstruct doorways with his traps.
Caustic’s gas damage was effectively nerfed in Season 21, almost a year ago. This meant a shift from a scaling damage model to a capped maximum of 10 damage per tick, allowing players to remain in his gas for longer periods during engagements. This slow decline in his pick rate was gradual, culminating in a sharp drop at the start of the current season.
While Caustic’s core abilities have seen little adjustment since the Upheaval update, the gameplay environment has undergone significant transformation. Season 24 introduced major changes to the Assault class, granting these legends the capability to reveal enemy health bars upon dealing damage. This has drastically undermined Caustic’s strategic edge by nullifying his gas’s vision-blocking capabilities. Furthermore, Assault legends can now activate a speed boost when damaging enemies, allowing them to avoid the slowing effects of Caustic’s gas altogether.
This shift towards a more rapid pace in Apex doesn’t align with Caustic’s skill set, which is designed to slow engagements and provide opportunities for teammates to regroup after a knock. In terms of life-saving abilities, legends like Lifeline and Newcastle excel at providing revives, often outclassing Caustic in crucial gameplay moments.
Looking ahead, the outlook for Caustic appears grim. Respawn Entertainment has announced plans for a revamp of the Skirmisher class, which is positioned next in line following recent updates to the Assault and Support classes. Skirmishers are notorious for their mobility, while Recon legends can see through smoke, further complicating Caustic’s effectiveness in matches. Unless substantial improvements are made specifically for Caustic, players may find it necessary to explore other legends to ensure competitiveness in the current meta.
Source
dotesports.com