Apex Legends quickly rolls back one Season 26 feature, Bangalore still broken

Live-service games need to iterate. It's in their blood. I remember the first time Fortnite changed its map. I was bereft. I'd spent hours learning layouts, picking favourite spots, and building stairs to the perfect sniper towers, all for it to be rudely taken away. But then I grew to love the next map, and the next. I've played a lot more Apex Legends than I have Fortnite, and I know that these seasonal updates don't always go to plan. Remember Seer? The original Bocek? Unfortunately, it looks like Apex Legends Season 26 might go down in history alongside these infamous launches.

Season 26 launched with a slew of changes, most notably to the RE-45, controller class, and two characters: Bangalore and Caustic. However, one small addition to the game went under the radar in the patch notes. Accolades acted like mini-achievements in each match, giving players more milestones to reach. The implementation wasn't great, though, with noisy, distracting alerts popping up every time you slid 5m or ran 10m.

It's not the kind of change that would stop Apex Legends from being one of the best multiplayer games going, but it was infuriating. Thankfully, Respawn reacted quickly to the deluge of community feedback and rolled back the change within three hours of the new season launching.

But, there are still issues. Bangalore's buffs seem very strong, to the point where many consider her overpowered. Most of the issues stem from a new upgrade to her tactical ability, the smoke launcher. She can now electrify her smoke, dealing massive damage to enemy equipment. From Octane's jump pads and Caustic's barrels, to Wattson's entire kit, Bangalore counters it all. To exacerbate the problem, she gets three charges of smoke which cool down very quickly.

Caustic is also very strong, but considering he is now hard countered by Bangalore, he's not seeing much love. Perhaps if this one ability was toned down a little, players could utilize all the toys at their disposal and try out some different Legends from the norm. Until then, Apex Legends 26 is going to be a smokefest.

If all Bangalore's ability-cancelling upgrades are too much for you, check out some of the other best battle royale games until Respawn makes a fix. Alternatively, search through our Apex Legends characters guide to find the perfect counter to Bangalore. Or just pick up a Kraber and headshot her before her smoke gets into range.

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