Apex Legends Players Express Disappointment Over Broken Promises in 2024

As the countdown to the new year begins, the faith of Apex Legends players in the developers’ ability to deliver on their promises made for 2024 is rapidly dwindling.

December marked a significant downturn for the game, with Apex Legends experiencing its lowest player count since its launch. This decline followed an extended period of sparse content during the holiday season, prompting both content creators and professional players to analyze the root causes and propose potential solutions.

Among the voices calling for change, prominent streamer ImperialHal presented a focused three-point strategy aimed at revitalizing the game. His suggestions included a thorough revamp of the ranked system, adjustments to Horizon’s character balance, and a reconsideration of controller aim assist settings.

In contrast, HisWattson attributed the game’s struggles to deeper systemic issues within the organization, branding the problem as one rooted in “upper management.” He revealed insights from Respawn Entertainment staff, who expressed frustration about their recommendations seemingly being ignored. “All our suggestions fall on deaf ears,” he stated, highlighting a disconnect between developers and the player community.

Criticism of upper management extends to EA’s CEO Andrew Wilson, who, in a statement on March 7, hinted at an ambitious vision for Apex Legends to “expand beyond the traditional battle royale universe” in the forthcoming year.

Frustrated players, like Garret, have taken to social media to voice their disappointment. As he succinctly put it, “This never happened,” a sentiment that resonated with many in the gaming community.

This never happened lol https://t.co/f4PvL3KnRM

— Garret (@Grrted) December 29, 2024

Apex Legends: Struggling to Diversify Gameplay

In detail, Wilson articulated a broader vision, stating, “The next phase will then be, how do we think about more modalities of play, how do you expand beyond the traditional battle royale universe? And we’ll start to see that in the coming year.” This statement raised expectations for innovative gameplay.

Players initially viewed the introduction of the 3v3 Arenas mode as a step towards diversifying the gameplay experience. However, this mode was ultimately discontinued in February 2023 due to a lack of consistent player engagement, disappointing fans who found it a preferable alternative to longer battle royale matches.

“Getting rid of Arenas was a big letdown for me,” one passionate player remarked. “I preferred having a quick match option compared to the lengthy battle royale sessions.”

Though a new team deathmatch experience called Mixtape briefly filled the void left by Arenas, this too was scrapped during the November Season 23 update. Notably, Mixtape was introduced prior to Wilson’s ambitious commitments, leading many to question the follow-through on these pledges.

As players yearn for new content to rejuvenate the gameplay experience, the community is left anxiously awaiting developments in the coming year to see if the promised expansions truly materialize.

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