Crypto has long been considered a high skill ceiling legend that leaves his team in a 2v3 situation while piloting his drone. To address this Respawn Entertainment is introducing a massive set of quality of life changes and buffs in Season 27. These updates focus on making the Surveillance Expert much more fluid and capable of contributing to the fight without being tethered to his drone for long periods.
Passive and drone scan improvements
The most significant change for Crypto mains is the incorporation of powerful upgrades directly into his base kit. His drone, Surveillance Drone, is receiving a massive overhaul to its scanning capabilities and general utility.
- Threat Vision: Crypto now gains long range Threat Vision while piloting his drone, making it much easier to spot enemies in complex environments like the new Pagos Olympus map.
- Satellite Imagery: This powerful upgrade is now part of the base kit, allowing the drone to track enemies more effectively through walls and smoke.
- Enhanced Scan: The duration of a successful scan has been increased by 1.5 seconds. Additionally, hitting enemies with a Surveillance Drone EMP now provides a short scan of all affected targets.
These changes ensure that Crypto provides consistent value to his team, similar to the recent Octane buffs, even when he is not actively controlling the drone. The added Threat Vision allows him to act as a true eye in the sky during competitive rotations.
Tactical drone speed and utility buffs
Respawn has focused on reducing the downtime Crypto faces when deploying his utility. The speed at which he can enter and exit his drone has been significantly improved to allow for more aggressive plays.
- Deployment Speed: The time to launch the drone has been reduced from 1.3 seconds to just 0.7 seconds.
- Entry Speed: The time to re-enter the drone after it has already been deployed is now only 0.2 seconds, down from 0.4 seconds.
- New Drone Interaction: The drone can now collect EVO Harvesters, allowing Crypto to safely boost his team’s armor level from a distance.
- Zipline Interaction: Crypto can now enter and exit his drone while riding Ziplines, providing much needed intel during high speed rotations.
Perhaps the most requested change is that the “Off the Grid” passive has been incorporated into his base kit. Crypto is now naturally harder to detect by enemy scans, freeing up his perk slot for new abilities.
New perks added to the evolution tree
With “Off the Grid” and “Satellite Imagery” moving to the base kit, Respawn has introduced two powerful new perks to replace them. These upgrades focus on team coordination and ultimate economy.
| Perk Name | Description of Effect |
| Ally.MoveTo() | Crypto can use the Trailblaze mechanic to follow all allies automatically. |
| Power Coupling | Gains Ultimate charge from scanning Survey Beacons and scanning enemies with the drone. |
The Ally.MoveTo() perk is a game changer for Crypto players who struggle to keep up with mobile teammates like Octane or Pathfinder. It allows the drone to follow the squad while Crypto focuses on the gunfight. Meanwhile, Power Coupling ensures that an active Crypto player will have his EMP ready for almost every engagement.
FAQ: Crypto buffs in season 27 Apex Legends
What is the new drone launch speed for Crypto?
The time it takes for Crypto to launch his drone has been nearly halved, moving from 1.3 seconds down to a much faster 0.7 seconds in Season 27.
Is Off the Grid now a base ability for Crypto?
Yes, the “Off the Grid” perk has been moved into Crypto’s base kit, meaning he is now permanently harder to detect by enemy recon abilities without needing a specific upgrade.
Can Crypto’s drone pick up EVO Harvesters?
In Season 27, Crypto’s Surveillance Drone can now collect EVO Harvesters, allowing the team to upgrade their armor safely from a distance.
What does the Ally.MoveTo() perk do?
This new perk allows Crypto to set his drone to follow his teammates automatically using a “Trailblaze” mechanic, keeping the team’s flanks protected while he fights on the ground.
