A mysterious weapon pick-up animation for Bangalore is actually another clue for the next legend in Apex

Apex Legends Eclipse is entering its final two weeks, set to end on Feb. 13, 2023. With the onset of a new season, players and leakers get excited for the new content to come, including map changes, weapon balancing, and the introduction of a new legend. Playable character leaks have been common since season 13, with past details including early development kits of Newcastle, Vantage, Catalyst, and other legends that have not made it to the Apex Games.

Ballistic, the reported next playable character for season 16, is currently under the most scrutiny from leakers, with the biggest tease involving a unique interaction that already existed in the game, potentially confirming his future introduction to Apex.

A few months ago, one legend had a special animation when picking up the CAR submachine gun, an animation that actually belongs to Ballistic. When equipping a CAR for the first time, Bangalore uniquely racked the gun, where all other legends simply picked it up without any special interactions.

Previous legends have followed special weapon equip and inspection animations, such as Gibraltar with the Peacekeeper, Fuse with the 30-30 Repeater, Mad Maggie with the Mastiff, and Vantage with the Sentinel. The correlation between Bangalore’s CAR equip and Ballistic has grown with additional evidence in the game files, which match the past legends’ weapon draw animations.

Ballistic owning a unique animation for the CAR fits with the theme of his character, reported to be an arms dealer in the Outlands. His connections can stem from Rampart, a fellow weapons dealer and modder, to Kuben Blisk, the commissioner of the Apex Games, who could have arranged a deal with Ballistic to enter the games for his knowledge and skills. With the CAR currently the only gun that can switch between light and heavy ammo, Ballistic’s expertise connects with the unique and flexible weapon, and fits right in with the world of Apex.

Ballistic’s leaked kit includes a weapon sling, allowing him to carry a third gun with no attachments as his passive ability. His tactical ability, Smart Bullet, causes any enemies hit to have their weapons overheat, dealing damage over time like a thermite grenade. Ballistic’s ultimate is Weapon Enhancer, granting a team-wide buff that increases movement speed, reload speed, infinite ammo, and granting the third gun in the weapon sling gold attachments for a limited time.

Apex season 16 will begin immediately after season 15 ends on Feb. 13. Each season lasts three months on average, giving players ample time to learn the new legend, experiment with map and weapon changes, and earn all the rewards in the battle pass.