Crypto in Apex Legends
Recon

Crypto

Surveillance Expert

Crypto is a Recon Legend. He was introduced in Season 3 and is locked from the base game. He can be unlocked using digital currency: either 12,000 Legend Tokens or 750 Apex Coins, or by buying the Champion Edition downloadable content.

A Legend who takes to the skies, Crypto with his Surveillance Drone, reveal enemies for Crypto and his squad using Neurolink. If he finds that the enemies have already hunkered down, he can activate his Drone EMP to destroy their defenses and slow them before he comes out of the shadows and makes his move with his squad.

Abilities

Checked against every EA patch note up to Apex Legends: Cipher Patch Notes (2 November 2026).

TacticalQ

Surveillance Drone

Cooldown 30s

Deploy an aerial camera drone that can remotely interact with Survey Beacon, Respawn Beacon, and ally Banner cards.

  • Pressing the tactical button will launch the drone from Crypto ~25 m. Holding the tactical button will cause Crypto to go into drone view immediately.
  • The drone can be deployed and flown up to 200 meters away from Crypto. If the drone is 240+ meters away from Crypto, it will automatically be recalled.
  • Crypto can recall the drone at any time, EXCEPT when reviving a teammate who is down, as this will interrupt the revive on the downed teammate. The drone can, however, be recalled without interruption while shooting, healing, while knocked down, or executing other actions. The recall takes ~2 seconds.
  • The drone has 50 health, which gets recovered when recalled.
  • The drone can be used to open doors/Supply Bins/Care Packages, pick up squadmates' banner cards, and use both Survey Beacons and Respawn Beacons instantly. It must be within 7 meters to do these.
  • The drone can ping items as long as they are within 12 meters. Enemies can be pinged up to 125 meters.
  • Champion Banners seen through the drone's vision will show the number of enemy squads within a 200-meter radius of Crypto (not the drone).
  • While in drone view, weapons automatically reload, starting with the currently equipped weapon. Reloads take the same amount of time as they would normally.
  • The audio range from the drone is as follows:
  • Since Season 31, the drone has a 25-second battery, after which it is recalled; recalling takes 6 seconds, and it can be redeployed with no cooldown.
  • Since Season 31, pressing fire while piloting marks enemies in the drone's line of sight (4-second cooldown). Marked enemies stay tracked for 8 seconds, even if the drone is recalled or destroyed, and cannot be re-marked while marked.
  • Since Season 31, the drone is faster and handles better, and entering it is quicker.
Passive

Neurolink

Crypto and his teammates see what his Surveillance Drone detects up to a 30m distance.

  • Enemies highlighted by the drone will see 'DRONE DETECTED' on their HUD.
  • Since Season 31, the drone scans all around it rather than only where the camera points, and no longer highlights loot bins or doors.
  • Since Season 31, Crypto moves faster when heading towards teammates (formerly the level 2 upgrade, now slightly weaker).
UltimateZ

Drone EMP

Charge time 3 min

Charge up an EMP from your drone. The blast deals 50 shield damage, slows players, and destroys traps.

  • Takes 3 seconds to charge before detonating. The drone can be destroyed before the detonation, cancelling it.
  • Enemies hit by the EMP will have their minimaps disabled for 2 seconds. It is replaced with static and the words [SIGNAL JAMMED].
  • Since Season 31, Crypto is not damaged by his own EMP.
  • Since Season 31, the EMP can be triggered without piloting: the deployed drone fires it, or Crypto sends a drone out that detonates after a short delay.
  • Since Season 31, enemies in the drone's line of sight take full shield damage and a heavier slow; enemies out of sight take 50 damage and a lighter slow.

Who is Crypto?

Real name
Tae Joon Park (박태준)
Age
24
Home world
Gaea
Height
5'9" (175 cm)
Weight
130 lbs (59 kg)
Voice actor
Johnny Young

Crypto's heirloom

Crypto has 2 heirloom sets — Biwon Blade and Durumi Blade.

Crypto heirloom details

Crypto skins

The wiki lists 79 skins for Crypto, each with its rarity and how it was unlocked.

Every Crypto skin

Apex Legends meta this season

The Apex Legends meta page tracks every legend buff, nerf and rework this season.

Apex Legends meta: every buff and nerf

Other Recon legends

Recent changes

Season 31 · 2 November 2026

  • Season 31 rework aimed at a more aggressive drone that keeps Crypto near his team.
  • The drone now runs on a 25-second battery before it is recalled, and can be sent out again straight away rather than waiting on a cooldown.
  • The drone can mark enemies it can see, on a 4-second cooldown; marks last 8 seconds and stay visible even after the drone is gone.
  • The EMP can now be fired without piloting the drone, and no longer hurts Crypto himself. Through cover it deals 50 damage and a lighter slow; with line of sight, full shield damage and a heavier slow.
  • The speed boost towards teammates moved from an upgrade into the base kit, slightly weaker. New upgrades: Got Eyes On You (marks last 4 seconds longer) at level 2 and Charged Up (10 seconds more battery) at level 3.

Summarised from EA's patch notes. Read the original: Apex Legends: Cipher Patch Notes

Season 28 · 9 February 2026

  • Power Coupling gives less ultimate charge from scanning players (5, was 10) and none for 5 seconds after an EMP.

Summarised from EA's patch notes. Read the original: Apex Legends: Breach Patch Notes

Season 27 · 5 January 2026

  • Off the Grid and Satellite Imagery are now built in: Crypto cloaks while piloting the drone, and scans last 1.5 seconds longer.
  • The drone launches in 0.7 seconds (was 1.3), re-enters in 0.2 seconds (was 0.4), collects EVO Harvesters, and gives long-range Threat Vision while piloting.
  • Upgrades: new Ally.MoveTo and Power Coupling.

Summarised from EA's patch notes. Read the original: Grab your Hoverboard for the Winter Wipeout Event

Season 24 · 10 February 2025

  • Drone EMP destroys Gibraltar's Dome of Protection again.

Summarised from EA's patch notes. Read the original: Apex Legends: Takeover Patch Notes

Season 23 · 5 November 2024

  • The Surveillance Drone now takes ring damage (10% per ring tick).
  • With the Off the Grid upgrade, players within 20 m can spot a faint cloaking flicker every 1.5 seconds.

Summarised from EA's patch notes. Read the original: New Updates Coming with Apex Legends: From The Rift