After much consideration, developer Respawn Entertainment is going to remove “tap-strafing” from Apex Legends soon. This is after a recent community divide between console and PC players.
One of the good things about Apex Legends is its cross-play feature, where people can compete against players on different platforms. For instance, those on PC can team up with those playing on Xbox, and so on.
Just recently, Respawn Entertainment tweeted that the devs are removing tap-strafing in Patch 10.1. The reasoning behind it is the inaccessibility to certain players, lacks counterplay, and is also exacerbated by movement abilities.
After much consideration and debate, we've decided to remove tap-strafing from @playapex in patch 10.1.
— Respawn (@Respawn) August 31, 2021
Our reasoning: It's inaccessible, lacks readability/counterplay, and is exacerbated by movement abilities.
The next patch notes will include a more detailed note about this.
For those who do not know, tap-strafing is where a player would slide, jump, and perform an almost 180-degree turn while mid-air. This is done in quick succession, by the way. While this is technically doable on controllers, it is easier to execute using a mouse and keyboard.
With so many PC players using tap-strafing to their advantage, one can expect the developers’ recent move to be met with some resistance.
User @ShibuyaHAL said that a fast-paced game like Apex Legends requires fluid movement and tap-strafing is an important element. They ask the devs to not remove it.
Shivam “ShivFPS” Patel, a streamer for Luminosity Gaming, chimed in that aim botters and hackers also lack readability and counterplay, but they wondered why the devs removed tap-strafing instead. In a follow-up tweet, Patel added that the devs should have focused their attention on removing hackers from the game.
Another user said that the devs removed tap-strafing to cater to the noobs. It seems as though the developers want to lower the skill cap even further.
While there are those who are vehemently against the removal of the movement mechanic, there are those who are happy about it.
User @Frexs thanked the devs as it was quite overpowered for controller players. They’ve added that they are looking forward to when Patch 10.1 will be implemented.
Coming from someone who uses tap-strafing all the time, user @BlazeLight474 said that they saw this decision coming. They added that it was an unintended mechanic and that anyone who performs it does have an unfair advantage over others.
Do you play Apex Legends? If so, what can you say about this recent decision by Respawn Entertainment? Are you in favor or are you against the removal of tap-strafing from the game?
