Apex Legends Dev Shows Why “Elective” Meta Options Will Always Be Nervous

Especially in a game like Apex Legends, where balance changes have been heavily requested and criticized by the community, one of the most interesting gameplay developments at the launch of its season is what Respawn Entertainment has done in response.

With Season 14: The Hunt starting just around the corner, several planned weapon modifications have already been leaked.

That’s why, thanks to a new GamesRadar feature, Respawn Senior Design Director Evan Nikolic explained what drives developers to decide what changes they will and won’t make from season to season. ‘other.

“Any time we see methane gravitating towards something that becomes a necessary choice, it’s not a choice we’re not interested in,” Nikolic told GamesRadar. “So we have to go inside and take a look at the garden, pick the weeds, prune the trees and make more interesting choices there.”

Asked about the new meta options that pop up all the time, Nikolic went on to explain that these are just a simple part of what Respawn hopes to make Apex a “game forever.”

“That’s what makes the job fun and exciting. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be needed. We are not chess – the last real change in the game of chess was in the 1800s, right? But we are trying to find it. This balance between innovation and sophistication. It’s up to us to disrupt and innovate.”

Going into the second half of Season 13: The Saviors, the Valkyrie was probably the closest thing to a legend or “must have” weapon.

Throughout Season 13, Valkyrie has long been at the center of the community, especially people who think she’s too powerful compared to Pathfinder.

After the Apex Legends Global Series Championship in Year 2, where Valkyrie maintained a high pick rate of 98%, Winged Avenger in particular became the most picked Legend in the game for quite some time.

Overall, while Respawn seems to have gotten on Valkyrie’s nerves at least, the Apex devs seem to be taking a very methodical approach to balancing the game – it’s meant to encourage a bigger picture.

“Our goal is to make Apex, a game you teach your kids to play, a game that will last a lifetime.”