Apex Legends tier list – the top picks for Season 18

The Apex Legends tier list for Season 18 is a must-use if you're trying to climb the ranks of Respawn's shooter on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch.

Apex Legends Tier List: Vantage can be seen

If you’re sitting there wondering who’s on top when it comes to an Apex Legends tier list in Season 18, you’re not alone. The meta is always changing and new additions to the roster are only going to complicate things further. We all know it’s worth checking these new legends out, but sometimes it’s hard to work out where they stack up against the more reliable picks.

Season 18 initially didn’t make many changes to the battle royale game’s line-up, with only Ash and Mirage getting small tweaks. However, with the Kill Collection Event update, Seer enjoyers may have to turn to other legends while attempting to climb the Apex Legends ranks, as he has been hard-nerfed.

Apex Legends Season 18 tier list

Here is the Apex Legends Season 18 tier list:

Tier Legends
 S-tier Wraith, Octane, Bloodhound, Newcastle
A-tier Bangalore, Lifeline, Pathfinder, Valkyrie, Ballistic, Revenant
B-tier Loba, Fuse, Ash, Vantage, Gibraltar, Mad Maggie, Crypto, Wattson, Caustic
C-tier Horizon, Seer, Catalyst, Rampart
D-tier Mirage

S-Tier

Okay, let’s talk about the S-Tier legends in Apex Legends’ Season 18. These are the characters you’ll be seeing a lot of – and for good reason. They’re easily the best ones out there, and shouldn’t be overlooked when choosing who to play as.

Apex Legends tier list: Wraith looks back after portalling

Wraith

If you find yourself caught in a sticky spot, and you need to make a break for it, Wraith might just be the best legend for the job. She can also get her – and her entire squad – out of a jam in a flash, making her one of the most popular legends in the game.

While none of her abilities are necessarily attack-minded, Wraith excels at keeping you alive if you overstep, allowing you to play aggressively but always have a safety blanket.

Wraith abilities:

  • Voices from the Void (passive) – A voice warns you when danger approaches. As far as you can tell, it’s on your side
  • Into the Void (tactical) – Reposition quickly through the safety of void space, avoiding all damage
  • Dimensional Rift (ultimate) – Link two locations with portals for 60 seconds, allowing anyone to use them

Apex Legends tier list: octane celebrates in a wide stance

Octane

We know he might not be much of a team player, but Octane is easily one of the best legends in the game right now and has been for a while – especially if you like aggressive plays and attacking moves.

While Octane has been consistently tweaked, he remains a firm favorite among players, and who can blame them?

Octane abilities:

  • Swift Mend (passive) – Automatically regenerate health over time
  • Stim (tactical) – Move 30% faster for six seconds. Costs health to use
  • Launch Pad (ultimate) – Deploy a jump pad that launches teammates through the air

Apex Legends tier list: bloodhound holds a crow in their hands

Bloodhound

Much like Wraith, Bloodhound is one of the best Apex Legends available in Season 18, despite not operating with an attack-based kit. The information you can gather, though, is vital and an invaluable asset to any squad.

They also offer up a fantastic ultimate ability for players who need a helping hand in the thick of the fight – so, it’s worth getting to know them if you’re starting out.

Bloodhound abilities

  • Tracker (passive) – See the tracks left behind by your foes
  • Eye of the Allfather (tactical) – Briefly reveal hidden enemies, traps, and clues in structures in front of you
  • Beast of the Hunt (ultimate) – Enhances your senses, allowing you to move faster and highlighting your prey

Apex Legends Tier List: An image of Newcastle leaping across Storm Point

Newcastle

Dancing the line between a support legend and a defensive legend, Newcastle offers the best of both worlds for players looking to help their team more than rack up kills – although, he’s pretty good at that too.

Newcastle abilities:

  • Retrieve the Wounded (Passive) – Drag downed allies as you revive and protect them with your Revive Shield
  • Mobile Shield (Tactical) – Throw a drone that projects a moveable energy shield
  • Castle Wall (Ultimate) – Leap to an ally or target area and slam down, creating a fortified stronghold

A-tier

And now, it’s time to talk about all those legends on their A-game in the A-Tier. These options are all brilliant, but not what we would deem as essential – right now, anyway.

Apex Legends tier list: bangalore aims her gun

Bangalore

Now, there’s no denying that Bangalore’s smokes can be handy in a pinch, but this OG’s problem has always been her ultimate and that hasn’t changed. When you combine this with the fact that her passive ability is just a limited-time speed boost, it’s hard to justify placing her in the top tier.

Bangalore abilities:

  • Double Time (passive) – Taking fire while sprinting makes you move faster for a brief amount of time
  • Smoke Launcher (tactical) – Fire a high-velocity smoke canister that explodes into a wall of smoke on impact
  • Rolling Thunder (ultimate) – Call in an artillery strike that slowly creeps across the landscape

Apex Legends tier list Lifeline: an image of a woman screaming and shooting

Lifeline

Lifeline is still, somehow, the only real support legend in Apex Legends and that means she’s always someone you should consider for your squad.

Her DOC drone isn’t just useful at healing you during a fight, it can actually be used to revive players – which helps Lifeline stay in the fight while bringing her team back from the brink. She can also get more loot from certain loot bins and her Care Package is a great way of bolstering your armor in the mid-game.

Lifeline abilities:

  • Combat Medic (passive) – Deploy D.O.C. to revive teammates, leaving you free to move and defend
  • Heal Drone (tactical) – Call D.O.C. to automatically heal nearby teammates over time
  • Care Package (ultimate) – Call in a drop pod full of high-quality defensive loot

Apex Legends tier list: pathfinders robotic head

Pathfinder

We know what you’re thinking, but if “who wants to ride on a zipline?” doesn’t fill your tiny little gamer hearts with joy then we don’t know what will. But aside from being an adorably polite and very memeable android, Pathfinder is a solid pick for aggressive Apex players whose strengths lie in movement.

Pathfinder is probably the legend that has been reworked, nerfed, buffed, and tweaked the most since Apex released, but Respawn seems to have finally got him in a relatively stable place. His grapple provides maneuverability and speed that is only really paralleled by Octane, and his Zipline Gun ultimate is useful for your team to quickly cover long distances or head up to the high ground.

Pathfinder abilities:

  • Insider Knowledge (passive) – Scan a survey beacon to reveal the ring’s next location
  • Grappling Hook (tactical) – Grapple to get to out-of-reach places quickly
  • Zipline Gun (ultimate) – Create a zipline for everyone to use

Apex Legends tier list: valkyrie concentrates as she manoeuvres into space

Valkyrie

Now, we know Valkyrie took some time to find her place in the meta, but she’s now one of the best out there thanks to a very useful ultimate ability and the ordinance on offer with her tactical.

If you want to get the one up on your opponents, she’s perfect for that thanks to her VTOL Jets. If you want a legend who talks a lot about snacks, she’s perfect for that too. Basically, she’s perfect.

Valkyrie abilities:

  • VTOL Jets (passive) – Press [space] while in the air to engage jetpack. You can switch between hold and toggle mode in the options menu
  • Missile Swarm (tactical) – Fire a swarm of mini-rockets which damage and disorient the enemy
  • Skyward Dive (ultimate) – Press once to prepare for launch. Teammates can interact with Valkyrie to join the launch. Press again to launch into the air and skydive

Apex Legends tier list: Ballistic

Ballistic

Introduced in Season 17, Ballistic can quickly turn the tide of a gunfight thanks to his kit. By overheating enemies with his tactical ability, while giving his teammates a massive buff thanks to his ultimate, playing into a Ballistic comp can make for a rough time.

Ballistic abilities:

  • Sling (passive) – Store a third weapon in the sling. Access either via inventory or Character Utility Action. The sling weapon cannot take attachments
  • Whistler (tactical) – Shoots a projectile that heats up an enemy’s gun as they shoot. Overheating causes damage. Hold the tactical to lock-on
  • Tempest (ultimate) – When activated, nearby teammates get faster reloads, faster-armed move speed, and infinite ammo. Ballistic’s sling weapon will be equipped and upgraded to gold

Apex Legends tier list Revenant season 15: an image of the robotic man turning

Revenant

He’s Apex Legends’ most sinister – and perhaps most reinvented Legend. Originally nowhere near this tier, Revenant has seen a rework in Season 18 in the form of Revenant Reborn and he is a great option now with his rebuilt kit.  isn’t the worst legend out there and you might find yourself enjoying his kit if you give it a chance.

Revenant’s Death Totem is an intriguing ultimate that gives you the confidence for an initial aggressive push, and his other new abilities are a strong pairing alongside the ultimate. In fact, Revenant could have been even better with Titanfall 2-like movement if that addition made it into the final game.

Revenant abilities:

  • Stalker (passive) – Highlight nearby visible enemies who are low on health. You crouch walk faster and have improved wall climbing.
  • Shadow Pounce (tactical) – Unleash a powerful pounce forwards. Hold to charge for farther distances.
  • Death Totem (ultimate) – Forge a shroud of hardened shadows around you that block damage and regenerate. Your shadows and tactical are refreshed on cooldowns.

B-tier

Here, we’re going to be talking about some useful legends that are still finding their place in the meta. They’re useful, but situational and can take a little time to get used to  – if you want to make the most of their kits.

Apex Legends tier list: loba points a pistol

Loba

Now, we know Loba is often quite low on other Apex Legends tier lists, but we don’t think she’s that bad. She brings important movement to a squad, even though it could be a little more effective, and she’s more than useful when it comes to looting – particularly in the early game.

We do think there’s room for her to grow, though, and that’s why she doesn’t get placed any higher – for now.

Loba abilities:

  • Eye for Quality (passive) – Nearby legendary and epic loot can be seen through walls
  • Burglar’s Best Friend (tactical) – Teleport to hard-to-reach places or escape trouble quickly by throwing your Jump Drive bracelet
  • Black Market Boutique (ultimate) – Place a portable device that can teleport nearby loot into your inventory. Each player can take two items maximum

Apex Legends tier list: Ash looks sinister

Ash

Ash is a fan-favorite villain from Titanfall 2 and something of an adept fighter when it comes to Apex Legends’ Apex Games. She’s been tweaked a few times over the seasons, but has remained a solid A-Tier option.

Ash is quite a versatile legend that can provide intel, lock down targets with her tactical, and use her Phase Breach ultimate ability to relocate herself and her team – whether that’s into a firefight or out of one.

Ash abilities:

  • Marked For Death (passive) – Ash’s map shows the location of recent deathboxes. Interact with a deathbox to mark surviving attackers (once per box)
  • Arc Snare (tactical) – Throw a spinning snare that damages and tethers the first enemy that gets too close
  • Phase Breach (ultimate) – Tear open a one-way portal to a targeted location

Apex Legends tier list Fuse season 15: an image of the man looking unamused

Fuse

We know, we’d love to see ol’ Fusey up higher than this but he’s just not the best legend in the Apex Games – at least like that, anyway. He is, however, an absolute blast to play as. He can launch throwables further than anyone else and his Knuckle Cluster is useful in a pinch.

However, his ultimate is where his kit shines – even though it’s still very situational. We’d like to see Fuse higher, and maybe we will in the future with some tweaks.

Fuse abilities:

  • Grenadier (passive) – Stack an extra grenade per inventory slot. Fire grenades farther, faster, and more accurately
  • Knuckle Cluster (tactical) –  Launch a cluster bomb that continuously expels airburst explosives on impact
  • The Motherlode (ultimate) – Launch a bombardment that encircles a target area in a wall of flame

Apex Legends tier list: vantage aims down a sniper rifle

Vantage

Yeah, that’s right – we’re leaving Vantage right where she is for Season 18. Spotter’s Lens is a brilliant way of providing on-the-spot reconnaissance for your squad and her Sniper’s Mark ultimate ability is one of the best out there right now. When you couple that with the fact that she’s working with a fantastic animal companion with Echo – who’s also good in a pinch – she’s easily one of the best new legends we’ve seen.

She essentially frees up a weapon slot, too, which can be useful if you want to adapt to any situation you’re faced with. Basically, she’s just a lot of fun to play as in-game and that hasn’t changed.

Vantage abilities:

  • Spotter’s Lens (passive) – Aim down sights to scout with your eyepiece (unarmed or with mid-to-long-range scopes) and use a bullet drop indicator to see where your shots will land
  • Echo Relocation (tactical) – Position your winged companion Echo and then Launch towards him. Must have line of sight for Echo to launch
  • Sniper’s Mark (ultimate) – Use your custom sniper rifle to mark enemy targets and apply a damage bonus for you and your team

Apex Legends tier list: Gibraltar belly laughs

Gibraltar

At long last, we come to Gibby. He’s a fan-favorite and a fantastic defensive legend, but his stationary shield is something that limits him somewhat – and his Gun Shield passive really isn’t as useful as it could be. Still, he’s a valuable asset to any squad and – despite his middling place on our list – you should check him out if you haven’t already.

It’s also worth noting that his Defensive Bombardment ultimate ability can be a fantastic asset in a squad-versus-squad showdown – whether you’re using it to get kills or protect yourself while you escape.

Gibraltar abilities:

  • Gun Shield (passive) – Aiming down sights deploys a gun shield that blocks incoming fire
  • Dome of Protection (tactical) – Throw a dome shield that blocks attacks
  • Defensive Bombardment (ultimate) – Call in a concentrated mortar strike on a marked position

Apex Legends tier list Maggie Season 15: an image of the woman looking annoyed

Maggie

Now, we know Maggie isn’t the most popular legend right now but she’s still a brilliant offensive legend and you shouldn’t overlook the bonus she gets while using shotguns.

In addition to this, she has Wrecking Ball – which just causes so much chaos it’s worth using in every fight if you can. There are still some issues Respawn Entertainment could do with addressing, but it’s safe to say that she’s improved a lot with the latest title update.

Maggie abilities:

  • Warlord’s Ire (passive) – Temporarily highlight enemies you’ve damaged, and move faster with a shotgun
  • Riot Drill (tactical) – Fire a drill that burns enemies through obstacles
  • Wrecking Ball (ultimate) – Throw a ball that releases speed-boosting pads and detonates near enemies

Apex Legends tier list: crypto stands with his hands in his pockets

Crypto

Crypto is about as popular as crypto-currencies and that hasn’t changed in a long time. He has been tweaked a fair bit since his release, but he’s still struggling to find his place in the meta – which is a shame when you consider how useful he can be in concept.

He’s still not the worst legend out there though, and in the right hands – in the right situations – he can be somewhat useful. Just, be warned that he’s going to take some getting used to and isn’t the most effective player of the Apex Games out there.

Crypto abilities:

  • Neurolink (passive) – Enemies detected by Surveillance Drone within 30 meters are marked for you and your teammates to see
  • Surveillance Drone (tactical) – Deploy an aerial drone that allows you to view the surrounding area
  • Drone EMP (ultimate) – Your drone sets off an EMP blast that deals shield damage, destroys traps, and slows enemies

Apex Legends tier list Wattson Season 15

Wattson

You can’t kill-a-watt, son – but, you can find yourself in the B-Tier if you’re Wattson. It’s sad, we know because she’s a likable legend and arguably one of the best when it comes to the late-game, but she’s just not someone who can be adaptable with a kit based on stationary defensive strategies.

Her Perimeter Security nodes and Pylon are both fantastic assets if you’re sitting still, but as soon as you need to push or rotate, they become somewhat redundant.

Wattson abilities:

  • Spark of Genius (passive) – Ultimate Accelerants fully charge your Ultimate Ability
  • Perimeter Security (tactical) – Connect nodes to create electrified fences that damage and slow enemies
  • Interception Pylon (ultimate) – Place an electrified pylon that destroys incoming ordnance and repairs damaged shields

Apex Legends tier list Caustic season 15: an image of the man holding an SMG

Caustic

Apex Legends’ Gas Daddy, Caustic, is a tricky customer when you’re not paying attention, but he’s too situational to place any higher on our list. His Nox Gas is a useful deterrent and an effective distraction, but it’s not quite enough. You need to be switched on to take advantage of it.

In addition to this, his Nox Gas Grenade is a useful throwable if you’re looking to punish an enemy squad camping somewhere without a way to escape. But.. That’s about it. There are better legends out there and we’re sorry if you think otherwise.

Caustic abilities:

  • Nox Vision (passive) – Allows you to see enemies through your gas
  • Nox Gas Trap (tactical) – Drop canisters that release deadly Nox gas when shot or triggered by enemies
  • Nox Gas Grenade (ultimate) – Blankets a large area in Nox gas

C-Tier

The C-Tier legends are ones that are decent enough, but not quite cutting the mustard when it comes to winning games. In the right hands – and in the right situations – they can excel though, but there are better options for players looking to adapt to every situation.

Apex Legends tier list: Horizon looks sad

Horizon

Horizon used to be devastating in the right hands, and while she’s still a fantastic asset in attacking situations, the nerfs to her black hole a while back mean she isn’t as good as she used to be.

Horizon abilities:

  • Spacewalk (passive) – Increase air control and reduce fall impacts with Horizon’s custom spacesuit
  • Gravity Lift (tactical) – Reverses the flow of gravity, lifting players upward and boosting them outward when they exit
  • Black Hole – Deploy NEWT to create a micro black hole that pulls players in towards it, and hits them with a graviton blast at the end

Apex Legends tier list Seer season 15: an image of the man looking confused

Seer

We know Seer was S-Tier on launch, but it’s hard to put him any higher than this following his Season 18 nerfs.

Seer is, for lack of a better word, one-trick. All three of his abilities are catered to uncovering enemies and finding out where they are. While this is useful, it does limit him more than you might think. His passive is particularly impressive, with Seer able to hear enemy heartbeats when aiming down the sights of a weapon. It’s creepy, but fun!

Seer abilities:

  • Heart Seeker (passive) – Hear and visualize the heartbeats of enemies when aiming down sights
  • Focus of Attention (tactical) – Summon microdrones to emit a delayed blast that goes through walls, interrupting and revealing enemies
  • Exhibit (ultimate) – Create a sphere of microdrones that reveal the location of moving or firing enemies within

Apex Legends tier list Catalyst Season 15: an image of the woman hiding with an LMG in hand

Catalyst

Catalyst hasn’t had much of an impact on the meta – certainly, not as much as we thought she would.

While she can work well in defensive and offensive situations, her Dark Veil ultimate just isn’t as useful as it was against the scan meta last season.

Catalyst abilities:

  • Barricade (passive) – Reinforce doors, strengthening them and locking them to enemies. Spaces where doors have been destroyed can also be reinforced
  • Piercing Spikes (tactical) – Throw out a patch of ferrofluid which turns into spikes when enemies are near. Catalyst remains immune to enemy spikes
  • Dark Veil (ultimate) – Raise a permeable wall of ferrofluid. Enemies who walk through it will be slowed and partially blinded for a brief time

Apex Legends tier list Rampart season 15: an image of the woman holding Sheila with a grin

Rampart

Season 6’s minigun maniac Rampart is terrifying but ultimately has found it difficult to really leave her mark on the Apex Legends meta. Sheila can be carried around now, though, which is useful, but it’s still an inaccurate way of tackling enemies at any kind of distance and leaves you open to attack.

That being said, her Amped Cover is handy when defending a spot – or setting up a sniper’s nest for Vantage. However, it’s just a little too situational to be placed any higher.

Rampart abilities:

  • Modded Loader (passive) – Increased magazine capacity and faster reloads when using LMGs and Sheila
  • Amped Cover (tactical) – Build a crouch-cover wall, that deploys a full-cover amped wall which blocks incoming shots and amps outgoing shots
  • Mobile Minigun ‘Sheila’ (ultimate) – Wield a mobile minigun with a single high capacity magazine. Place it down for anyone to use as a stationary and reloadable turret.

D-Tier

Yeah, we should probably just call this “Mirage Tier” at this stage, right? We’re sorry, but these are the legends that don’t make the cut and just aren’t that good.

Apex Legends tier list: Mirage looks shocked

Mirage

Mirage is something of a one-trick pony. He’s here for the bamboozles, and not a whole lot else. However, is quite funny and remains a surprisingly popular choice for players considering the fact he isn’t that good.

There’s not much else to say about Mirage, really. He’s good at tricking enemies and he can keep himself hidden, at times. That’s it.

Mirage abilities:

  • Now You See Me (passive) – Automatically cloak when using Respawn Beacons and when reviving teammates
  • Psyche Out (tactical) – Send out a holographic decoy to confuse the enemy
  • Life of the Party (ultimate) – Deploy a team of decoys to distract the enemy

So, there you have it – our part-opinion, part-science Apex Legends tier list for Season 18. Keep checking it out throughout the season to see if any legends change positions – we’ll keep this updated with each title update released.

In the meantime, be sure to check out some of the other best FPS games out there, should you wish to eventually switch things up. After all, sometimes clicking heads in other games can be the perfect palette cleanser if your games take a turn for the worse.