Why The Naruto Run Is Gone, And What It Means For Wraith

On October 6, the world came crashing down for Wraith mains. The Apex Legends Aftermarket Collection Event update brought with it new challenges, new skins, and new nerfs/buffs. What no one could have predicted, is that Wraith's iconic Naruto-style run would be removed, and her Sprint Animation replaced by something more ordinary.

Respawn Entertainment's devs had this to say on the unpopular change, following data that put Wraith at the top of the stats for win rates and pick rates.

"Wraith is a very challenging Legend to nerf. Each time we hit her abilities (which we've done a lot) she bounces back within a few weeks without bleeding a lot of pick rate. We don't want to hit her abilities anymore."

So if Wraith's abilities were to remain unchanged, what could the devs do? Well, the unthinkable. The devs "discovered that her sprinting animations are unique in how much they artificially shorten her (by hunching over), thus shrinking her shootable area from the perspective of the enemy. It doesn't sound like a lot, but taken together with her already small hitbox, it's a lot of power."

The new Sprint Animation means Wraith now runs upright, meaning her body is exposed much more, compared to her previous run-style, meaning there is a greater area to hit. Wraith has been judged for her small hitbox before, and it seems this may help to soften that blow.

Click to enlarge

Not all is lost, however, as the devs promised to monitor the feedback and data relating to this change to her Sprint Animation, as well as "depending on what we see after these animations go live, we may even be able to put some power back into her abilities (no promises though)."

So that's the "why" of the matter resolved, but what does this mean for Wraith mains - will we see win and pick rates drastically reduce?

As it stands, Wraith is the most powerful (and most-used) Legend by far, and that isn't up for debate. The numbers speak for themselves. Objectively, she is the best Apex Legends character.

Fans of the game have taken to social media to mourn the iconic Naruto run, and share their thoughts on the future of Wraith herself. Some are obviously jokes, but others seem to be truly devastated.

It seems most of the Apex players are mourning the signature run for what it is - a symbol of Wraith's character, rather than what it meant for her hitbox. Jokes aside, the fans ultimately seem to be siding with the devs on this being a good change for her viability.

Time will tell if this Sprint Animation change will do more harm than good to Wraith, or if she will finally be balanced.

RIP Naruto Run, you will be missed.

 

Images via Respawn Entertainment | The Professional Gamer