Following some players' concerns over teammates who didn't contribute and played too passively, developer Respawn Entertainment has decided to act. In Apex Legends, players who 'piggyback' off the effort of their teammates while deliberately avoiding contributing to the team, will be reprimanded with a temporary ban.
Apparently, it's been a problem for Apex Legends for a while now. While many players give their all in the team-oriented battle royale game, some players play passively (according to some reports, many players even hide somewhere and then AFK for minutes at a time) and end up being dead-weight to their teammates who are actually trying to win. Because of the way victories work in Apex Legends, that means that these 'piggybacking' players still get to reap the rewards of becoming champion even if they don't do anything to earn it.
Based on the official announcement on the Apex Legends subreddit, the ban will work much like you'd expect. Players who exhibit 'piggybacking' will be reprimanded with a temporary ban, possibly ranging from a short time to an extended period depending on frequency. Devs also noted that for extreme cases, they're not afraid of instituting permanent bans as well. The changes won't be immediate, but the announcement was made to ensure that players who are guilty of this type of behavior will have time to adjust the way they play to make the game and the community better as a whole.
The decision from Respawn Entertainment came from its goal to make Apex Legends a team-oriented battle royale that puts to the test not just individual player skill, but also their ability to cooperate and work as a team. While the punishment may seem a little harsh, many of us in the gaming community look back at our school days - remembering group projects where only one person did all the work. For those who are often that 'one person', it may feel like the drastic punishment could be just what is needed to jolt teammates into action.
What do you think about the whole situation? Do you think that banning - temporary or permanent - is a little too harsh a punishment for 'piggybacking'? Or do you agree with Respawn that these measures are necessary to ensure that the game remains enjoyable and competitive for all? Let us know in the comments section below!
