Apex Legends Reverts Movement Nerf After Fan Backlash

Summary

• Apex Legends has reversed a controversial modification to tap-strafing following community feedback.
• The initial change, part of the mid-season update for Season 23, introduced during the Astral Anomaly Event on January 7, had unintended negative effects on the movement mechanic.
• The community has shown strong support for the reversion, valuing the preservation of skillful movement techniques.

Apex Legends has responded to fan feedback by reverting a controversial change to tap-strafing. This adjustment was initially implemented in the mid-season update for Season 23, which coincided with the start of the Astral Anomaly Event on January 7. The update included a wide range of balance adjustments for Legends and weapons.

Among the numerous changes, a small note in the Bug Fixes section caught the attention of many players. Respawn Entertainment had introduced a "buffer" to tap-strafes, which diminished the effectiveness of this movement technique. Tap-strafing, an advanced maneuver in Apex Legends, allows players to swiftly change direction in mid-air, making them harder to hit during combat. The change was intended to address "automated movement tech at high frame rates," but the community felt it went too far.

Fortunately, Respawn acknowledged the community's concerns. The developer announced that the change to tap-strafing had been reverted, admitting that it had unintended negative impacts on the movement mechanic. Respawn emphasized its commitment to combating "automated workarounds and degenerate play patterns" while preserving the skill involved in certain movement techniques, such as tap-strafing.

Apex Legends Reverts Controversial Nerf to Tap-Strafing

The decision to revert the nerf to tap-strafing has been met with widespread approval from the Apex Legends community. The game is renowned for its dynamic movement, and although the standard battle royale mode does not include wall running like its Titanfall predecessors, players can still execute impressive maneuvers using techniques like tap-strafing. On social media platforms like Twitter, players have expressed their appreciation for Respawn's responsiveness.

The impact of this reversion on Apex Legends remains to be seen. It's unclear how many players may have paused their gameplay due to the initial nerf, and whether this change will encourage lapsed players to return.

Recent developments in the battle royale genre have been significant. Alongside the mid-season update, Apex Legends launched the Astral Anomaly Event, introducing new cosmetics and a refreshed version of the Launch Royale LTM. Respawn has highlighted the importance of player feedback in shaping the game's future, suggesting that further updates may address other issues in the coming weeks.