Apex Legends devs weighing up seismic BR shift to remove the Dropship
Respawn EntertainmentThe Apex Legends developers are weighing up a huge change to the BR mode that could greatly shift how professional and competitive matches are played.
Apex Legends developer EA has laid out plans for a divisive change that may completely alter the way the pro matches are played out. The new change would see the Dropship being completely removed and instead, players would directly spawn into one of the 29 points of interest around the map.
These preset spawn locations would be drafted at the start of each ALGS playday, giving teams the opportunity to strategize around their spawn location.
This is a massive shift from the dropship, how it would spawn on a random side of the map and cross it at any angle. Teams often have a preferred POI when dropping, and the more randomized drop angle and first-ring pull have a significant effect on the team’s rotations. Now with the proposed changes, this may no longer be the case.
The Preset Spawn System is currently available in private matches and will allow teams to choose one of the 29 preset spawn points on World’s Edge or Storm Point. This change is intended to go live with Split 2 of the Regular Season of ALGS Year 4, based on feedback.
The devs have stated that they’ll also implement a similar system to other maps when they are added to ALGS.
It’s worth noting that this proposal is still in its draft phase, however, with the devs asking for players to provide questions and feedback about the proposed changes. So there are chances that this controversial change doesn’t hit professional Apex at all.