Apex Legends finally fixes Bangalore's smoke, but I don't feel bad for using it

If there's one thing to know about seasonal changes to live-service games, it's that you're never going to please everybody. However, the Apex Legends community seemed unanimous in its outrage over Bangalore's buffs in Season 26. Specifically, her smoke launcher tactical ability has a first-level upgrade that electrifies the smoke. This means that it deals extra damage to enemy deployables: Caustic's barrels, Wattson's fences, and even Octane and Horizon's ultimates can be destroyed by a simple smoke bomb. Players were livid, but Respawn has finally fixed the ability. Kind of.

As a part of a small update to the battle royale game on Wednesday August 13, Respawn announced that it was rolling out a change to Bangalore's Electric Smoke ability. However, it's not the nerf that Apex Legends players have been waiting for.

Instead, the patch now deals "consistent damage to enemy deployables," as there was an issue with the smoke canisters before. It also fixes issues with her smoke destroying deployables through walls, which wasn't intended. With more consistent Electric Smoke, Bangalore will likely remain one of the most-picked Apex Legends characters this season.

That said, she still takes some skill to master. This isn't a Seer situation, where she fundamentally breaks the game. I've used her plenty in Season 26 and don't feel dirty. It's a meta pick, for sure, but there is counterplay, especially if the Bangalore player doesn't know exactly what they're doing. Some Legends will always be more powerful than others, and currently it's Bangalore's time to shine.

The Apex Legends patch also included fixes for loot bins spawning in inaccessible places (we've all seen those bins clipping through walls), Caustic's Gas Fighter upgrade, and an issue with Sparrow's arrows spawning incorrectly in Wildcard.

If you're keen to try out similar games to Apex while Bangalore waits for a fix, try out some of the best multiplayer games or alternative free PC games to get your fix.

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