Apex Legends: Five characters that should be reworked immediately

Respawn has been working tirelessly to balance Apex’s expansive cast of characters in recent years. A major update to the Assault class was released in Season 24, which could signal that more legend balancing is in store this year.

Old fans and beginners can benefit from reworks to underused legends, so here are our thoughts on how Respawn can create effective skill overhauls that don’t diverge too far from the original characters.

Throughout the past year, numerous legends have received minor and major adjustments to help create a more balanced roster for all play styles. Season 24 brought significant updates to the Assault legends class, while Lifeline had an entire season dedicated to her overhaul in 2024.

What defines a major rework varies between players, but generally, it includes multiple changes to their skill kit. Though most reworks offer buffs to the character in question, some balancing changes are implemented to provide nerfs.

We’ll present you with five characters who we believe deserve a rework and explain how the changes might be implemented.

The list below contains five popular legends who we believe deserve some love due to their age, stats, and abilities.

Octane was one of the first characters to be added to Apex Legends, so it’s easy to see why he’s due for a rework. Octane’s core ability, the Stim, could grant more powerful bonuses to the user or their entire team, which would help him compete with many modern legends who are more support-oriented.

Octane’s ultimate, the Launch Pad, can also be reworked to offer healing to those who jump on it, increasing Octane’s usefulness to his team. At the end of the day, Octane is a Skirmisher legend, so any buff to his kit should help him survive combat unharmed, whether through healing or simply a damage boost.

A Recon legend, Bloodhound, needs a rework to bring him to the same power level as other characters with the ability to track enemies. We recommend that Bloodhound’s core abilities be reworked to give him an edge. Introducing another ability that can buff Bloodhound’s speed would be a good place to start.

The Beast Of The Hunt ultimate allows a Bloodhound player to see cold tracks, plus it offers a movement speed boost. This ultimate has a three-minute charge time, so if Bloodhound were to receive major changes, it might be best to reduce the charge time for Beast Of The Hunt. Bloodhound isn’t a bad legend, but in 2025, his abilities simply aren’t what they used to be.

Caustic is a great legend for competitive play, and he’s not too difficult to learn since the Nox Gas Trap tactical and Nox Gas Grenade ultimate are so similar. These abilities coat areas with Nox Gas, dealing large amounts of damage to enemies.

Since both abilities release Nox Gas, we’d like to see a rework for Caustic that gives the deadly character a new tactical ability. Instead of the Nox Gas Trap, Caustic could use a different trap that relies on a physical component instead of a thick gas. Caustic is a fun legend to play, and he’s already quite powerful, but his skill kit is due for an overhaul to add some diversity to Caustic’s play style.

Though Seer was once one of the best characters in Apex, his strongest days are far behind him, so we’re hoping for an update that makes his skill set more interesting without creating another Seer meta.

Seer’s Heart Seeker passive may be due for an upgrade that increases its range, while the Focus Of Attention tactical could be buffed by reducing its cooldown to 20 seconds. Finally, the Exhibit ultimate would benefit from an overhaul, perhaps a new ability that deploys damage-dealing drones while also tracking enemies.

Pathfinder is in need of a full rework in Apex Legends, though he did recently receive a few changes in Season 25. During an interview with Uxako at the ALGS Open, the 2024 champion explained that he enjoys playing as Pathfinder, but though the robot is fun to use, it isn’t fit for competitive play. Pathfinder is equipped with the Zipline Gun ultimate, which may be due for an increase in maximum length.

Another adjustment we recommend for Pathfinder is a buff to his Grappling Hook. Its cooldown could be reduced from 30 seconds to 20, while a major boost to movement speed upon landing would significantly improve Pathfinder’s manoeuvrability.

Pathfinder’s strength is in his ability to quickly reach high places, so improving that would be the best bet, though a new skill that deals damage would also help balance this legend.

Apex Legends is six years old, so its roster is full of characters that were powerful at launch but now require reworking to stay competitive. Recent updates to character balancing have been immensely popular for legends like Ash and Lifeline, so we expect Respawn to continue offering upgrades for older legends.

Between Pathfinder and Caustic, a variety of legends deserve some love in 2025. A total overhaul is in order for some characters, while others simply require a few tweaks. Legend balancing is great, but it’s also important for reworks to keep the spirit that made each legend so special in the first place.