In Season 22, Apex Legends made a UI change that was small in size but huge in application: enemy health bars would now show up when you deal damage to them, giving players a lot more info. And, as it turns out, it’s a nerf to a character that thrives on confusing enemies.
Health Bar Changes in Apex Legends… GOOD or BAD?
That character, of course, is Mirage. Over the years, Mirage has built a cult following in Apex thanks to a distinctly dorky personality covered in bravado and a kit that’s never been technically good but has always made for some hilarious clips and outplays. There’s nothing quite like defeating an enemy who mistakes one of your holo-clones for the real Mirage. But that’s the problem with the Season 22 health bar change, an update that seemingly had nothing to do with Mirage when it released. That health bar appears above the real Mirage’s head, and only the real Mirage’s head, making it incredibly easy to spot him when he’s using his Life of the Party ultimate.
The Life of the Party instantly creates multiple clones that move in a circle away from the real Mirage and mimic its movements, usually making it very difficult to tell which Mirage is the real one before it starts shooting. However, the health bar almost instantly removes that difficulty if you've dealt damage to the character before or while it activates its ultimate, as none of the decoys gain health bars.
Players on Reddit and other social media sites quickly spotted the issue. And no one is sure if it’s a simple oversight in how the new health bars devalue Mirage’s kit or if everything is working as intended.