Crypto

This article concerns the subject and the content related to it in *Apex Legends*. For the subject in *Apex Legends Mobile*, see Crypto (Mobile). For the background of the subject in Apex Legends universe, see Crypto (character).

 **Voice Actor** | Johnny Young

 **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 or  750, 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

### Surveillance Drone

 Cooldown

* Info
* Interactions
* Tips
* Bugs

* 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.
	+ If the drone is thrown at a wall, it will turn around.
* 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.
	+ Hold ADS to conduct level flight while looking around.
	+ When not being piloted manually, the drone is left parked in midair.
	+ Crypto is left stationary while piloting the drone. Taking damage while in drone view will force Crypto out of it.
* 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.
	+ If you have  Vault Key in your inventory. You can use the drone to open the Vault.
* 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).
	+ Crypto can warn teammates about the number of nearby squads by pinging these banners while in drone view.
* 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:
	+ Drone Throw - 175m.
	+ Entering Drone - 175m.
	+ Exiting Drone - 175m.
	+ Recalling Drone - 100m.
	+ Piloting Drone - 110m.
	+ Idle Drone - 80m.

* You can manually ping and use the ping wheel while in drone view. The following is everything that the Surveillance Drone can Ping:
	+ Gear
	+ Weapons
	+ Attachments
	+ Regen items
	+ Ammo
	+ Grenades
	+ Map Features
	+ Enemies
* The drone cannot be damaged by Crypto or his squadmates. It will block shots fired at it.
* Pathfinder's  Grappling Hook can attach to the drone.
* Fuse’s  Knuckle Cluster can stick to the drone.
* The drone cannot pass through Wraith's  Dimensional Rift.

* Crypto is completely vulnerable while in drone view. Find a safe place to stay while operating the Surveillance Drone. You can crouch while entering drone view to force Crypto to stay in this stance while using it, making it easier to hide him.
* Deploying the drone while sliding allows Crypto to keep sliding while the drone deploys. You can slide into cover and/or save time this way when moving into new areas via downward slopes.
* Although your squad can see the drone's automatic  Neurolink pings, the range is very limited. Remember to manually ping the enemies you see that the drone doesn't automatically detect.
* The drone's ability to see the number of nearby enemy squads is very powerful information. Communicate this information to your squad often to make decisions about when/where to move, which fights to take, and avoid being caught by surprise third parties after winning a fight.
	+ The 200-meter squad detection radius is approximately the same size as your minimap.
* You can use the drone as a decoy to distract enemies while your squad is either flanking or escaping.
* Because enemy drones appear with an orange aura, flying it outside The Ring will cause it to visually blend in with the orange ring effect and its partial opacity, making it harder for enemies to spot. The drone does not take Ring damage.
* If your squadmates have died, you can use the drone to safely retrieve your squadmates' banners. Try to fly the drone in from a different direction rather than directly from yourself to reduce the likelihood of being caught doing this. Carrying  Mobile Respawn Beacons in your survival slot is naturally more valuable for Crypto.

* The Surveillance Drone can sometimes take more shots to destroy than intended despite only having 50 health. This doesn't include weapons that can one-shot it.
* Sometimes when the drone is hacking a Survey Beacon, the next ring is not revealed on the map unless you hack the beacon when facing its front, despite the hacking sound effect playing.
* The drone cannot fit through certain windows.
* Attempting to deploy the drone while crouching too close to a wall or cover can cause it to become stuck.
* In Arenas, one charge is used when the drone is deployed and another is used when it is destroyed. If all three charges are bought and the drone is destroyed, only one charge will be left.
* The map in the drone view is incorrect.
* There is a small window of actionable time between throwing out the drone and entering it when holding the ability button down, during which items can be used and will complete while piloting the drone.
* Being knocked while drone is active will immediately recall drone (knocked while using EMP will cancel and consume the charge)

### Neurolink

 Cooldown

* Info
* Interactions
* Tips
* Bugs

* The drone will highlight doors, supply bins, care packages, traps, and enemies with a direct and uninterrupted line of sight within 30 meters. Enemies are more noticeably marked with a triangle.
* Enemies highlighted by the drone will see 'DRONE DETECTED' on their HUD.

* Mirage cannot be detected while cloaked from  Now You See Me....
* Mirage's decoys can be scanned but won't be highlighted as an enemy.
* Enemies won't be highlighted if Gibraltar's  Dome of Protection comes between them and the drone.
* If Crypto is inside enemy or friendly Bangalore smoke while in recon mode your screen will start to become fuzzy.
* Enemies cannot be detected through Bangalore’s smoke or Caustic’s gas.

* The  Drone EMP and Neurolink can be used even when Crypto is not directly controlling the drone. This allows Crypto to actively stay in the fight while gathering information on what enemies are doing.
* The Surveillance Drone is noisy and its automatic enemy detection will warn enemies of its presence. If you don't want them to know your squad is nearby, you can manually ping them from a distance.
* Many maps have glass surfaces that the drone can detect enemies through. Park your drone on one side so that it can safely scan enemies on the other side.
* If you're struggling to find enemy squads, flying around with the drone through buildings and covers and looking through glass might cause them to be spotted by the drone's enemy detection, even if you didn't notice them.

* The drone may not highlight certain general things that are supposed to be highlighted.

### Drone EMP

 Charge time

* Info
* Interactions
* Tips
* Bugs

* Takes 3 seconds to charge before detonating. The drone can be destroyed before the detonation, cancelling it.
* Affects all players (and Crypto himself) in a 30-meter radius, even through walls and other obstacles. Squadmates take no shield damage but are still slowed down.
	+ The slow lasts roughly 1-2 seconds.
* Enemies hit by the EMP will have their minimaps disabled for 2 seconds. It is replaced with static and the words [SIGNAL JAMMED].

* The EMP completely destroys the following:
	+ Gibraltar's  Dome of Protection
	+ Lifeline's  D.O.C. Heal Drone
	+ Wattson's  Perimeter Security nodes and  Interception Pylon
	+ Inactive Caustic  Nox Gas Traps
	+ Mirage's decoys produced by  Psyche Out and  Life of the Party
	+ Loba's  Black Market Boutique
	+ Rampart’s  Amped Cover's amped part
	+ Seer's  Exhibit
	+ Newcastle's  Mobile Shield
	+ Enemy Crypto's  Surveillance Drone
	+ Cargo Bots
* The EMP deals 100 damage to Octane's  Launch Pad.
* The EMP deals 50 damage to active Caustic  Nox Gas Traps.
* The EMP deals 50 damage to  Body Shields and  Evo Shields, both when equipped and on the ground.
* The EMP disables Tridents for 5 seconds, Rampart's  Mobile Minigun "Sheila" when in placed mode for 17 seconds, and the electricity on Newcastle's  Castle Wall.
* The EMP cancels Valkyrie's  Skyward Dive if it causes shield damage.

* The radius of Drone EMP is the same as  Neurolink's tracking radius. If an enemy is highlighted in orange, you know they'll be caught in the blast.
* You can activate EMP from where you last left the drone, even when you are not in drone view. This way, you can set the drone in one spot, leave the drone view, prepare for an ambush, activate the EMP, and push immediately.
* Keep in mind that you and your drone are still vulnerable to damage while EMP is charging.
	+ The drone is easier to spot while EMP is charging. Try to activate EMP with your drone in a safe spot or while flying it around to avoid it being destroyed.
* EMP is very good for ending fights quickly and lessening the chances of your squad getting third partied.
	+ Using EMP on enemies who are fighting or escaping outside The Ring can be effective as the slow effect can potentially be enough for the ring to knock or eliminate them.
	+ Using EMP on large groups of enemies can rack up damage for Crypto's  Evo Shield very quickly.
	+ Using EMP on single enemies can be worth doing to take them out of the fight temporarily, rather than letting their squad group up.
	+ Since squadmates do not take shield damage from EMP, a risky tactic in a pinch is to activate EMP even if Crypto and his squad will be caught in the blast, giving your team an opportunity to attack or escape while the enemy recovers.
* It's very useful for Crypto to carry at least 1-2  Ultimate Accelerants to quickly recharge EMP.
* Offensive, agile Legends make good squadmates for Crypto, as they can easily hunt down enemies after an EMP.

* On Kings Canyon, using a Charge Tower when your ultimate is fully charged, then activating the EMP exactly 2.5 seconds before the charge tower activates will remove the cooldown completely after every activation until the drone is destroyed. Note: you must have a teammate to do this.

## Lore

*Main article:* Crypto (character)

An orphan abandoned at a young age, Tae Joon escaped a life of squalor by becoming a computer engineer for the Mercenary Syndicate, along with his foster sister, Mila Alexander. One day, Tae Joon and Mila stumbled upon an algorithm that could predict the result of any Apex Games match, hidden away in the Games’ own computer systems. That caught the attention of the wrong people - the next day, Mila disappeared, and Tae Joon was forced to into hiding after he was framed for her murder.

## Cosmetic Items

### Skins

There are a total of 78 Legend skins for Crypto; 1 Iconic 25 Legendary, 11 Epic, 25 Rare and 16 Common.

* Iconic
* Legendary
* Epic
* Rare
* Common

* HACKER: 1st Class

* The Hired Gun
 1,200
* Devil's Advocate
 1,200
* The Masked Dancer
 1,200
* Rising Phoenix
 1,200
* Hype Beast
 1,200
* Machine Language
 1,200
* Deadly Byte
* Totemic Might
Needs The Masked Dancer
* Hack Frost
* Fuzzy Logic
Needs The Hired Gun
* Whitelisted
* Seeker of Knowledge
* Winters Grasp
Needs Rising Phoenix
* Midnight Cipher
 2,500
* Hallowed Spirit
* Awoken Fury
* Nomad Overseer
* Inconspicuous
* Masked Storyteller
Needs The Masked Dancer
* Roaring Guardian
* Elf Made
* Cryptic Conjurer
* Technocrat
Level 25
* [CLASSIFIED]
* Darkwatcher

Note:

1. ↑ Included in the Prince of Darkness Bundle.

Story of Crypto:

1. ↑ **Inconspicuous**: Before Tae Joon Park was a wanted man, he was a gifted programmer and engineer. The drone cameras that broadcast the Apex Games were originally his creation. In another life, they may have made him famous.

* Daemon Hunter
 400
* Hack the System
 400
* Heat Sync
 400
* Fiber Optics
 400
* User Friendly
 400
* Strength and Power
 400
* Neon Winter
* Hardened Circuitry
* Patch Notes
* Kernel Panic
Level 1
* Cosmic Navigator

* Bloodline
 60
* Blooms
 60
* Dark Web
 60
* Fishsticks
 60
* Fresh Paint
 60
* High Frequency
 60
* Lucky Charm
 60
* Molten Core
 60
* Mortal Coil
 60
* Scribblers
 60
* Self Organized
 60
* Sizzle Reel
 60
* Throwback
 60
* Tie Dye
 60
* Woodland Warfare
 60
* Cyber Attack
December 2019
* Blue Steel
Level 01
* Azure Gaze
 500
* Arctic Plates
Season 5
* Cool Operator
 1,400
* Sweet Synergy
 500
* Broken Syntax
* Dragonskin
July 2021
* Blue Dragon
Level 59
* Caution Point
Season 13

1. ↑ Included in the Iced Out Bundle.

* Original
Default
* Arctic
 30
* Cardinal
 30
* Clearwater
 30
* Evergreen
 30
* Flamingo
 30
* Hydro
 30
* Limelight
 30
* Mandarin
 30
* Midnight
 30
* Orchid
 30
* Rage
 30
* Sahara
 30
* Skyward
 30
* Vino
 30
* Yellowjacket
 30

### Finishers

*Main article:* Finisher
* Asset Procurement
Default
* Drone Scan
 1,200

### Heirloom Set

*Main article:* Heirloom

The set contains:

* A Banner Pose: No Escape
* A Melee weapon skin: Biwon Blade
* An  Intro Quip: "I'll find you."

### Emotes

*Main article:* Emote
* Break It Down -  1,200
* Game Over -  1,200
* Swordplay -  400
* Tiny Dancer
* Brain and Brawn
* Stare Down - Level 10
* Fistbump - Default

### Skydive Emotes

*Main article:* Skydive Emote
* Danger Zone
Level 46
* Hack and Slash
* Kickin' It
* Circling Back
Level 83

### Banner Frames

* Legendary
* Epic
* Rare
* Common

* Air Traffic Control
 1,200
* Augmented Reality
 1,200
* Ghost Dance
 1,200
* Lift Off
 1,200
* Test Pilot
 1,200

* Remote Workstation
 400
* Nuclear Air
Level 65
* Expedition
Level 53
* Lunar Smoke
Level 10
* Scanning For Lifeforms
Level 64
* Digital Intervention
Level 11
* Savage Empire
* Headlining
Level 18
* Draconic Navigator
* Summoning Fury

* Cord Cutter
 60
* Cyber Ninja
 60
* DDoS
 60
* Reroute
 60
* Wear and Tear
 60
* Limitless
 60
* Gated
Level 52
* Shielded
Season 5
* Pop Culture
Season 13

* Rookie Card
Default
* Key Card
 30
* Interconnected
 30
* Mesh
 30
* Warning
 30

### Banner Poses

* Mythic
* Epic
* Rare
* Common

* No Escape

* Buddy System
 400
* Charging D.O.C.
 400
* Defragged
 400
* Let Me Ride
 400
* Creature of the Night
* Decrypted

* Eavesdrop
 60
* Escape Artist
 60
* Incognito
 60
* Jailbroken
 60
* Prekill
 60
* Smooth Operator
 60
* Wallflower
 60

* Idle
Default

### Holosprays

*Main article:* Holospray
* Access Denied
 1,200
* Can't Talk. Busy.
 400
* Cracked Your Securities
 400
* I See You
 400
* I Won't Be Stopped
 400
* I'm Watching You!
 400
* Let's Go Fight
 400
* You're So Annoying
 400
* I Will Become Stronger
 400
* I'm Always Watching
Level 66
* Nothing I Can't Hack
Level 88
* Expand Your Network
Level 11
* Under My Protection
* Night Gig
Level 19

### Music Packs

*Main article:* Music Pack
* Crypto
Level 37

### Transitions

*Main article:* Transition
* Streets of Suotamo
Level 07
* Books and Covers
Level 71
* Codename Crypto
Level 87
* It Takes A Liar
Level 49
* Destination Unkown
Level 23
* A Change in Character
Level 65
* The Definition of Family
Level 92

## History

* Fix for cases where Crypto can throw out multiple drones.

February 08, 2022 Patch* Surveillance Drone
	+ The deployment of the Drone has received a rework:
		- Pressing the Tactical button causes Crypto to send the Drone flying in a straight line in the direction of Crypto's view for a few seconds.
		- If thrown to a wall (or other geo), the Drone will hit the wall and re-orient itself so that it's facing away from the wall.
		- Crypto no longer immediately accesses Drone View after deploying his Drone in this way.
		- Pressing and holding the [Tactical] button will launch the Drone forward in the same way, but then Crypto will immediately access Drone View.
	+ Added gamestate (e.g. Ring information, round timers), minimap, killfeed, team status, and ping information to the Drone's HUD.
	+ Repurposed the Drone HUD's old Crypto health/shield presentation into displaying the health of the Drone itself.
	+ Survey Beacon markers are now displayed in-world while piloting the Drone (same as when controlling Crypto himself).
	+ Reduced Drone health from 60 -> 50.
	+ The HUD marker for the Drone has been tweaked to increase visibility.
	+ The HUD marker for the Drone is now always displayed on-screen while the Drone is deployed (instead of only when the Drone was off-screen.
* Neurolink
	+ Increased the Neurolink detection FOV from 160 -> 240 degrees.
	+ Neurolink detection is now disabled while the Drone is being recalled.

July 19, 2021 Patch* Fixed bugs with the Dragonskin skin.

June 29, 2021 Patch* Surveillance Drone:
	+ (Undocumented) Can now see survey beacon icon in drone view.

May 04, 2021 Patch* Surveillance Drone:
	+ Can now scan and open care packages.
	+ Can no longer be used to "hijack" a  Respawn Beacon that's already in use.

March 09, 2021 Patch* Surveillance Drone:
	+ Crypto’s animation to bring out his drone is no longer skippable by throwing a  Holo-Spray.
	+ Reloading the Mastiff Shotgun and 30-30 Repeater will no longer be faster while in Crypto’s drone.
* Crypto can no longer teleport to a  Replicator.

February 02, 2021 Patch* Surveillance Drone: Removed the ability to stick  Arc Stars to friendly drones.

January 05, 2021 Patch* Surveillance Drone:
	+ Fixed an issue with Hack consuming two  Vault Keys if two keys were in Crypto’s inventory.
	+ Fixed an issue with Hack getting stuck within the Trident when deployed as a passenger and the trident is on a ramp.

November 18, 2020 Patch* Surveillance Drone: Fixed an issue with being able to put Rampart’s  Emplaced Minigun "Sheila" on the drone.

November 04, 2020 Patch* Surveillance Drone:
	+ Fixed an issue with the drone being able to drop items from Crypto’s inventory.
	+ Fixed an issue with the drone not being able to fit through certain windows.
	+ Fixed an issue with the drone marking friendly Mirage decoys as enemies.

October 12, 2020 Patch* Drone EMP: Fixed issue with being unable to use weapons for some time when this ability is triggered while not in drone mode.

October 06, 2020 Patch* Surveillance Drone:
	+ Can now open loot vaults if Crypto has a  Vault Key in his inventory. It consumes the key as usual.
	+ Fixed an issue with the drone not detecting Wattson's  Perimeter Security fences.
	+ Fixed an audio issue with  Survey Beacons sometimes making very little sound when using it in the drone view.
	+ Fixed an issue with his drone not taking damage from directly below.

September 03, 2020 Patch* Surveillance Drone:
	+ Fixed an issue with the drone not detecting players while on a  Emplaced Minigun "Sheila".
	+ Fixed an issue where while the drone is in Caustic gas the whole server would hear the drone audio.

August 18, 2020 Patch* Surveillance Drone:
	+ Can now activate  Respawn Beacons and  Survey Beacons. Doing so is instant instead of requiring prolonged use.
	+ Increased HP from 30 to 60.
	+ Increased hitbox size from cube of edge length 16 to cube of edge length 24.
	+ Fixed an issue with Crypto being able to use his drone while using Loba’s  Black Market Boutique.
	+ Fixed an issue where VFX shows false positive when hitting Crypto’s Drone.
	+ Did a geo pass to help prevent the drone from clipping into walls.
* Drone EMP:
	+ Now slows teammates.
	+ Fixed an issue with EMP not destroying Loba’s  Black Market Boutique.
* Added  Recon Passive Perk: Crypto can now use  Survey Beacons.

June 23, 2020 Patch* Surveillance Drone:
	+ Now takes 1.5 seconds to start controlling (was 2.5 seconds).
	+ Fixed an issue with the drone flying without input if the player was sprinting with the double-tap to sprint option.
* Drone EMP: Now destroys Wattson’s  Interception Pylon and Loba's  Black Market Boutique.

May 12, 2020 Patch* Surveillance Drone: Crypto can now ping banners, while in drone view, to warn teammates of nearby squads.
* Drone EMP now affects DUMMIE in the Firing Range.

April 07, 2020 Patch* Surveillance Drone: Fix for cases where players would not receive assist credit when using the drone to scan enemies.

March 03, 2020 Patch* Surveillance Drone:
	+ Primary weapons will now automatically reload while in drone view.
	+ Fixed players getting assist credit when using the drone on a player who is downed.
	+ Fixed a bug where players could place Gibraltar's  Dome of Protection on the drone allowing the Dome to be mobile while in use.
* Updated character select headshot.

February 04, 2020 Patch* Surveillance Drone:  Dome of Protection no longer can stick to drone.
* Drone EMP: No longer destroys friendly Gibraltar  Dome of Protection.

January 14, 2020 Patch* Surveillance Drone:
	+ Increased health from 1 to 30.
	+ Fixed visual bug for when he first drops into game, the Drone UI reports that it is "recharging" (as if it has been destroyed pre-drop), but progress does not complete / progress.
* Drone EMP:
	+ No longer affects friendly traps or deployables.
	+ No longer slows teammates.

November 05, 2019 Patch* Drone EMP: Will now damage armor that players have dropped.
* Fixed a bug where  Lifeline’s  D.O.C. Heal Drone couldn’t heal Crypto while he was in his drone.
* Fix for friendly Caustic gas kicking players out of his drone.

October 01, 2019 Patch* Introduced.

## Teasers

* Crypto was teased for an entire season before his official reveal:
	+ Crypto's first appearance was in the trailer for  Season 2, where he was responsible for destroying the Repulsor tower.
	+ Crypto's logo appears in "Voidwalker" when an alternate Wraith hacks into an abandoned IMC base.
	+ Crypto was the source of several "glitches" in Kings Canyon, including distorted lines from the announcer and hacked banner displays showing his attempts to get login information.
	+ Crypto appeared in an inaccessible room behind glass in Singh Labs, getting info on the space elevator at World's Edge. When a player got near, he and his drone would flee.
* Crypto's logo appears on the Night Light Prowler Burst PDW skin.

## Trivia

* Drone EMP causes the same minimap-disabling effect as Titanfall 2's Radar Jammer boost.
* Crypto's voice actor, Johnny Young, is an active streamer on Twitch, where he is known to do custom voice lines after the character he plays.
* During the  3rd Anniversary collection event, two skins were released based on Crypto's Hype Beast skin - Lit Witt for Mirage and Thunder Kitty for Wattson.
* The inscription, "0's & 1's 4 Lif3" along with Crypto's logo is found within "Hack". The logo and inscription can be seen if "Hack" is deployed or when Crypto is selected in the beginning of the match.
* Crypto's drone remote has the word "susukekki" on it which means "riddle" in Korean.
* Crypto currently has had the longest wait for an Heirloom at 910 days.

## Gallery

Videos

Images
* A coded message from Crypto to Mystik.
* Concept art of Crypto.
* Concept art for the drone.
* Concept art for the drone's remote.
* An early design of Crypto can be seen in the background of this Pathfinder concept art from the game's launch.
* Concept art for Crypto's room during the Forever Family Stories from the Outlands.
* Crypto's logo, depicting a hacker's face covered by a hood designed in the pattern of a circuit board.
* Crypto and Hack at Epicenter
* Crypto's Map Room on King's Canyon.
* Crypto's Character Selection Icon
* The photo of his family that Crypto keeps inside his Biwon Blade.
* Concept art for Crypto's The Hired Gun skin.
* Concept art for Crypto's Hype Beast skin.<ref>[1]
* Concept art for Crypto's Machine Language skin.
* Concept art for Crypto's Elf Made skin.
* Concept art for Crypto's Biwon Blade.
* Catalyst's Sun tarot card, depicting Crypto and Wattson

Merchandise
* A Funko Pop of Crypto that was released in July 2022.
* Action figure released by Jakks Pacific.
* Pin depicting Hack.

## References

1. ↑ Crypto Loading Screen Text "It Takes a Liar"
2. ↑ Hethe Srodawa on Twitter
3. ↑ Danny Gardner on Artstation
4. ↑ Danny Gardner on Artstation
5. ↑ [2]
6. ↑ https://www.artstation.com/artwork/9N6b0y
7. ↑ Gadget-Bot Productions on ArtStation
8. ↑ Stevo Chang on ArtStation