The APEX Legends pick rate is the ratio of times each champion is picked compared to the others. Unsurprisingly, not every character is as beloved as some of the most popular champions, like Octane, Wraith, and Pathfinder.
Also, some of the rates at which players choose their legends changes depending on the ranking and game mode – though perhaps less than you might expect.
Before getting into which legends have which rates, remember that a pick rate doesn’t necessarily mean the character is better than others.
It just means that’s who that amount of players prefer to use in games. The best legend for you is the one you feel best on and the one with skills you can use to make it to the final circle.
Overall Pick Rates
The information about pick rates comes from Apex Legends Status, which takes data from more than 16 million players to determine who plays which character. According to ALS, the top legends among all players and in all game modes are:
- Octane at 11.3 percent. That’s a slight increase of almost half a perfect. The average rank of Octane players in this tier is 341, and their average rank is Gold 4.
- Wraith at 11.2 percent. That’s a decrease of 2.8 percent. Wraith players average level 401 with a rank of Gold 2.
- Pathfinder comes in with 10.5 percent of players, a just over 3 percent reduction. The average Pathfinder level is 395, and the average rank is Gold 2.
- Bloodhound ranks fourth at 7.1 percent, with an average level of 312 and a rank of Gold 4. The rate at which he’s picked has decreased by 3.5 percent.
- Bangalore is used by 6.8 percent of players, which has increased by just over 1.5 percent. The average level of Bangalore players is 394, and their rank is Gold 2.
From here, players choose Lifeline at 5.4 percent and Ash at 5.1 percent. Horizon, Valkyrie, and Loba are used by 4.5 to 4.6 percent of players. Champions like Wattson, Crypto, Caustic, and Catalyst are used by even fewer.
The least-used legends among all players and in all game modes are:
- Revenant is used by 2.1 percent of players, which has decreased by almost 2 percent.
- Seer is used by 2 percent of players, a more than 1 percent decrease.
- Gibraltar is used by 1.5 percent of players, a significant reduction of 3.49 percent.
- Rampart is used by 1.5 percent of players, a 2.64 percent increase from her last ranking.
- Newcastle is used by 1.3 percent of players. That’s a decrease of 1.76 percent.
Interestingly, all the lowest-ranked legends are still primarily played by players over level 350 and with gold ranks. The exception to this is Revenant, whose players rank Silver 2 on average.
Popularity by Game Modes and Rankings
The ranking of champions doesn’t change significantly when you sort by rankings and game mode. Wraith, Octane, and Pathfinder usually take the top three slots. However, some exciting changes in the pick rate are worth noting.
If you only look at Unranked players, Octane is used by 13.1 percent of players, Bloodhound is used by 10 percent, and Ash is used by 8.5 percent.
That’s a three percent increase for Bloodhound and Ash, with a one percent increase for Octane. Mad Maddie is moved from a mid-pick rate tier down to the second least popular at 1.1 percent.
Bronze, Silver, and Gold still have the same top three characters, though the others move around a bit. For example, Bangalore moves up in ranking as you move from Bronze to Gold rankings.
Platinum ranking has changed in the top three, with Bangalore taking the number three spot from Octane. She’s selected by 9.5 percent of players at this ranking, with Wraith and Pathfinder clocking in at 14.6.
Octane comes in fourth with 8.8 percent of players, while Horizon takes fifth with 6.9 percent.
Diamond-level players are likelier to pick Pathfinder than Wraith, with 17.5 to 14.7 percent. However, Wraith is increasing in numbers while Pathfinder is decreasing, at least today.
Bangalore is used by 11 percent, followed by Horizon at 8.5 percent. At this point, average levels range from 580 to 654 among the players of these five champions.
These trends continue in higher leagues, though players have a higher average level as the league increases for all characters.
Changes in the Pick Rate
Many factors affect the pick rate, which can change daily. Some characters spike in popularity and fall, while others maintain a high pick rate over multiple years.
Problems with the game might cause more regular players to take breaks while less experienced players choose lower-tier champions and increase their pick rates. Several things go into this.
- Changes to champions are among the most significant drivers of pick rate increases and decreases. For example, Seer was nerfed with his Focus of Attention, having the damage removed, the flash removed, and the time to cast increased. For players who liked Seer, this made him a less viable champion. His pick rate decreased and hasn’t recovered since. The same is true with other champions, as Respawn attempts to balance the skills of the champions against the others.
- Sometimes a new character is introduced, and people jump on them to learn the new mechs or see how they benefit their teams. This can temporarily reduce the pick rate for other, more popular champions because people who main them move to other characters for a brief time.
- Sometimes events encourage players to use a different character. Check the pick rate during events to see the spikes and falls on the graph, and it’ll be obvious when many players prioritize a character.
- Not all legends are unlocked when a person buys the game. Wraith, Pathfinder, Bloodhound, and Bangalore are all included. Only Octane and Horizon aren’t unlocked and must be purchased separately from the top five. This might explain the relative popularity of Lifeline having a pick rate of over 5 percent when most players complain that she isn’t a strong enough legend – but she comes with the game and is an option for people who don’t want to spend more money.
Don’t let the pick rate influence who you play; instead, let it warn you about what skills you may face and who you’re likely to come up against.
If your favorite champion is Newcastle, and you like supporting your team with him, don’t stop using him. The real skill in the game isn’t the champion’s, after all. It’s the players.
