Wattson set for buff in Apex Legends Season 7 update
Respawn Entertainment Apex Legends’ Wattson continues to struggle in the current meta, but an upcoming patch could see the Static Defender receive the buff she deserves.
Apex Legends is home to a lot of colorful characters and each one of them offers unique abilities that drastically impact the game. However, there are a few Legends that sometimes fail to make a splash. Whether it’s down to their weaker abilities or extremely situational ultimates, it can be difficult to tell how well a character will do in the current meta.
Respawn are constantly rolling out patches to ensure gameplay remains smooth, but sometimes certain characters can end up underperforming.
One legend that continues to polarize the Apex Legends community is none other than Wattson, the Static Defender. This electrifying Legend was added to Respwan’s Battle Royale back in Season 2 and since then, she has struggled to compete against the game’s more popular picks. Fortunately, it looks like Respawn could be giving Wattson a helping hand in a future update.
Possible Wattson buff
Respawn Entertainment Many Apex Legends fans have been wondering whether Wattson will ever see a buff in the future, but a recent developer update discussion has players hopeful. “Pretty much every character we released post-launch was either weak on release or underappreciated by the community at large,” says Respawn game designer, Daniel Zenon Klein.
“I’m thinking Wattson here; she was always strong, but mostly played competitive only.” This certainly rings true for many of the game’s new additions. It’s often a coin flip between releasing a highly overpowered Legend that needs to receive a steady wave of nerfs or releasing a weaker Legend that requires a few buffs. It’s a job that often requires tremendous amounts of meticulous planning and fine-tuning to get right.
Of course, it can be difficult to get this balance correct and some Legends need a little more attention than others. However, when asked whether Wattson would be receiving a buff the Respawn Designer stated “I can’t say anything because I don’t wanna spoil the patch notes, but let’s say I concur with your analysis that she’s particularly useful only in high skill and could do with a little more power low skill. One would have to find a way to give her targeted power…”
The problem with Wattson
Respawn Entertainment While Wattson is often a strong pick in the highest brackets of pro play, she continues to prove ineffective in the casual scene. Unlike most Legends, Wattson’s Tactical (Perimeter Security) requires a lot of setup and forward-thinking in order to use it to its fullest potential. Not only this, but the ability also requires players to constantly lookout for opportunities where they can potentially trap their opponents.
To make matters even worse, these shocking traps can often leave you exposed. Unless the enemy squad has to pass through that specific area, they’ll often bypass your traps entirely or effortlessly destroy them if you’ve not placed them in hard to reach areas. Wattson also requires decent squad communication and excels when her traps can be synergized with other abilities. For example, placing Caustic’s noxious traps and Gibraltor’s shield can make for an impenetrable defense.
Of course, all these points have led to her being one of the most underused Legends in the current game. However, this could soon change.
When is the Wattson update?
While it certainly seems like Respawn is eager to address the current problems surrounding Wattson, they have yet to give an official release date. We will likely hear more from the dev team in the coming months. For now, it looks like fans of the Static Defender will need to wait patiently before she gets the update she deserves.
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