Apex Legends Season 21 set to remove game’s most controversial attachment

Of all the attachments in Apex Legends, there is one that has always been a point of controversy among players. Many will thank the devs in Season 21 though, as Respawn has chosen to remove that very optic from Apex entirely.

At the height of the so-called “can’t see s***” meta, Digital Threat sights were a savior for many Apex Legends players. The 4-10x that allows players to see through smoke and other obstructions is much harder to come by, so using the Digi-Threat at close range was the norm.

However, the choice was made in Season 20 to remove them from SMGs and make them usable only on Pistols and Shotguns to try and nerf their relevance. But, even after that balance change, the choice was made to totally remove the 1x Digital Threat optic from the loot pool.

This info comes from IGN ahead of the official patch notes release, confirming it as one of many gameplay changes coming in Season 21. But what makes this optic so effective, and why is it getting removed?

After the scan meta passed, with Legends like Seer and Bloodhound receiving substantial nerfs, having your hands on a Digi-Threat sight was an absolute must against certain characters.

Sure, it’s great for seeing through Caustic and Bangalore’s smoke, but the optic also made it much easier to track and spot enemies during hectic firefights.

There’s a reason this optic was confined to close-range weapons; it’d be a must-have on long-range guns if it was available. However, only working with two weapon types drastically nerfs its viability and risks clarity. For instance, the Wingman couldn’t take the attachment because it was too powerful, but the sight not working one pistol out of them all was often confusing for players.

So, it’s ultimately been taken out of the loot pool to prevent the nightmare of trying to balance it. There’s a chance it comes back in the future, but it won’t be around for Season 21.

Its removal has the potential to completely change the Apex Legends meta for Season 21, making scanner Legends a bit more viable and changing the way Bangalore’s smoke in particular slots into the meta.

All that said, this is according to early notes and gameplay overviews of Season 21 and is subject to change.