Bloodhound is arguably the coolest character in Apex Legends. They’re mysterious, they talk to birds, and their tracking abilities are basically a legal wallhack. But if you were lurking around the Apex community back in the early days of the game, specifically around 2019 and 2020, you probably heard a weird, slightly unsettling nickname for one of their most popular legendary skins. People called it the Bad Touch Bloodhound.
It’s a strange name. Honestly, it’s kind of a gross name. But in the world of competitive shooters, nicknames for character skins usually stick because of how they look or how much they frustrate the opposing team. This wasn't some official title from Respawn Entertainment. You won't find it in the lore books or the seasonal shop descriptions. It was a pure community creation born out of a mix of aesthetics and the genuine fear of seeing a high-tier tracker barreling toward you at 30% increased movement speed.
The Royal Guard and the Birth of a Meme
The skin we’re actually talking about is the Royal Guard.
It’s one of the base legendary skins for Bloodhound, meaning it’s been in the game since launch. It features a striking red and gold color palette with heavy samurai influences. The mask is ornate, the armor looks handcrafted, and it gives the character a regal, almost terrifying presence. But why the "Bad Touch" label?
It basically comes down to the intimidation factor of the early meta. Back then, Bloodhound’s ultimate, Beast of the Hunt, turned the entire screen grayscale and highlighted enemies in bright red. When a Bloodhound player wearing the bright red Royal Guard skin popped that ult, they looked like a literal demon charging through the fog. Because the skin was so bright and distinct, it became the "uniform" of the sweatier players—the ones who would track you across the entire map just to punch you out in a corner.
Getting caught by a "sweaty" Bloodhound felt inevitable. It felt... well, like a "bad touch."
Why Design Choices Matter in Apex Legends
Respawn’s design team, led in the early days by artists like Christina Wun and others, focused heavily on "readability." This is a huge deal in hero shooters. You need to know exactly who you’re fighting within a split second.
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The Royal Guard skin is one of the most "readable" skins in the game. That bright red isn't just for show. It stands out against the greens of Kings Canyon and the blues of World's Edge. Paradoxically, this made the skin more popular. High-level players often wear skins that stand out because it’s a flex. They’re saying, "I don't need to hide. I want you to see me coming."
The Psychology of the Red Samurai
There’s something inherently aggressive about red.
In a fight, a Bloodhound in the Royal Guard gear isn't trying to be subtle. When you compare it to the Plague Doctor skin—the other popular base legendary which is all matte black and crow-themed—the vibe is totally different. The Plague Doctor is "edgy." The Royal Guard (the Bad Touch Bloodhound) is "angry."
I've seen countless Reddit threads from 2019 where players complained about getting hunted by this specific skin. It became a bit of a psychological trigger. You see the red crow feathers, you hear the heavy breathing of the ultimate, and you know the fight is already over.
Competitive Impact and the "Pay to Win" Myth
We should probably talk about hitboxes.
In the early days of Apex, hitboxes were a mess. Pathfinder was a Swiss cheese nightmare, and Wraith was basically a needle. Bloodhound, however, had a notably large head hitbox because of their traditional hat and respirator.
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Players used to speculate if certain skins changed the hitbox size. They don't. Or, at least, they aren't supposed to. Respawn has been very firm that legendary skins like the Royal Guard don't actually make the character harder to hit. However, "visual clutter" is a real thing. The ornate details on the Royal Guard skin can sometimes make it harder to pin down the exact center of mass during a chaotic firefight compared to the slimmer, default Bloodhound model.
It’s not "pay to win." It’s "pay to look scary."
Evolution of Bloodhound Skins
Apex has come a long way since the Bad Touch Bloodhound nickname was at its peak. We’ve seen the introduction of Mythic skins, like the Apex Hunter Prestige skin that evolves as you get kills. We’ve seen the Young Blood skin from the "Old Ways" event which gave us a look at a maskless (sort of) Bloodhound.
Despite the flood of new content, the Royal Guard remains a staple.
- The Great Winter: This was a legendary recolor of the Imperial Warrior (the blue version of the Royal Guard). It turned the skin all white.
- Radiant Stalker: Another recolor that experimented with different palettes.
- The Centurion: A complete departure into a Roman gladiator aesthetic.
None of them quite captured the "cursed" energy of the original red armor. The community eventually moved on to other memes—like the "Bald Wraith" being the sign of a true predator—but the legend of the aggressive red Bloodhound remains a part of the game's foundation.
How to Handle an Aggressive Bloodhound Today
If you find yourself being chased by a Bloodhound—whether they're wearing the "Bad Touch" red or a fancy new Mythic—the strategy hasn't changed much in six years.
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First off, don't run in a straight line. Bloodhound’s tactical, Eye of the Allfather, tracks your position for a few seconds. If you’re scanned, most people panic and sprint. That’s exactly what the tracker wants. Instead, use that time to find an unconventional angle. Bloodhounds are often overconfident during their scan. They expect you to be cowering.
Use verticality. Bloodhound is a horizontal hunter. While they can climb like anyone else, their kit doesn't give them the vertical mobility of a Horizon or a Valkyrie. If you can get to high ground, you neutralize a lot of the pressure they put on you.
The Lasting Legacy of Community Nicknames
The "Bad Touch Bloodhound" is a prime example of how players reclaim a game's narrative. Developers build the world, but players name the ghosts that haunt it.
It’s a bit like the "Murder Droids" in other shooters or the "Pink Skins" in certain RPGs. These names represent a shared trauma or a shared joke among thousands of people who have spent too many hours in the Outlands.
Honestly, the name is a relic now. Apex has become more professional, more "corporate" in its esports branding. You don't hear commentators talking about "Bad Touch" skins on a PlayApex Twitch stream. But in the dark corners of the Discord servers, the old-school players remember.
Actionable Tips for Playing (or Fighting) Bloodhound
If you want to lean into the aggressive playstyle that earned this skin its reputation, or if you're tired of being the victim, keep these points in mind:
- Scan for Information, Not Just Presence: Use the tactical to see how the enemy is moving, not just where they are. If they're reloading or healing, that's when you push.
- Beast of the Hunt is a Flanking Tool: The speed boost is the most underrated part of the ult. Don't just run straight at the enemy; use the speed to take a wide flank they won't expect.
- Listen for the Breath: Bloodhound is incredibly loud when their ultimate is active. If you're being hunted, turn your audio up. You can hear them coming from a mile away, which gives you the chance to pre-fire the corner.
- Thermal Vision Weaknesses: Remember that while Bloodhound sees you in red, they lose a lot of environmental detail. Sometimes standing still in a cluttered area can actually make you harder to track than if you're moving across a clean background.
The Royal Guard skin isn't going anywhere. It’s a classic. Whether you call it the Bad Touch Bloodhound or just "that red guy who ruined my killstreak," it remains one of the most iconic designs in battle royale history. Just don't let the red armor get in your head. It's still just a hitbox, and it still goes down with a well-placed Peacekeeper shot.