Pathfinder’s pick rate has soared to the top of the charts in Apex Legends Season 16, beating out Wraith and Octane among other popular legends.
Season 16 has seen Pathfinder soar to the top of the Pick Rate charts in Apex Legends. For the longest time, the friendly robot was considered a neglected Legend. Memes were abound about his lack of a proper passive. With just over a month of Season 16 remaining, Pathfinder is undisputedly the most picked Legend in the game, beating popular legends like Wraith and Octane in the process.
But what has made Pathfinder soar in prominence?
Pathfinder's pick rate has soared through Season 16
According to stat tracking site Apex Legends Status, Pathfinder has seen a 28.2% increase in his pick rate. This allows him to comfortably cement himself as the top-picked Legend in Apex Legends Season 16.
He's currently sitting at a pick rate of 14.6%, a significant 3% increase over Wraith and 5.4% increase over Octane, who are both the second and third most picked legends respectively. The friendly robot is really popular this season thanks to the class rework and significant buffs. But what exactly helped him?
That's because Pathfinder received major buffs in Season 16
Pathfinder's skyrocketing pick-rate can be largely attributed to the buffs he's received in Season 16. As a quick reminder:
- Passive - Insider Knowledge
- Pathfinder’s passive benefits are no longer gained by scanning Survey Beacons
- Pathfinder’s passive benefits (Ultimate charge and 10s Ultimate Cooldown reduction) are now gained by revealing Care Packages with the Skirmisher ability
- Ultimate - Zipline Gun
- Max Range increased by ~60%.
- Max Speed increased by 66%.
- Acceleration and exit speed adjustments.
- Targeting improvements, including updated visual and audio cues.
- Can no longer place the end station on OOB zones.
As you can see, Pathfinder can plant his zipline to go much further. Additionally, he also drops a zipline that is similar to the ones on the Broken Moon map. And players traverse Pathfinder's zipline much faster than on regular zip lines. In a game where mobility is king, being able to move fast is essential.
After all, who's hot on the heels of Pathfinder in the pick rate? Wraith and Octane, who also provide incredible movement options.
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Pathfinder becoming a Skirmisher changed him fundamentally
Additionally, Pathfinder was reclassified as a Skirmisher class Legend in Season 16 and his reclassification helped him massively. He no longer has to carry the moniker of being the only Recon legend without a scan ability. In addition to this, he also receives the Skirmisher class perk while retaining his previous passive, meaning he also gains a 10% cooldown reduction on his ultimate whenever he uses the Skirmisher perk.
As a bonus, Pathfinder is very popular in LTMs!
Another major change that has boosted Pathfinder's pick rate is the introduction of a permanent LTM Rotation. Arenas was replaced by the Mixtape mode in the Matchmaker which rotates between Control, Gun Run and Team Deathmatch LTMs throughout the season. Pathfinder, with his ability to plant a Zipline and generally improved mobility, is incredibly popular in these game modes.
It remains to be seen whether Pathfinder will remain atop his current pedestal. It's also likely he returns to the competitive meta thanks to his newfound buffs improving squad mobility and map rotations. In the beginning of Season 16, Wraith was at the top of the Pick Rate charts. Pathfinder rapidly climbed the table after players realized just how potent his buffs were.
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