Apex Legends devs promise changes in Season 18 to solve “ratting” problem
EADevelopers working on Apex Legends have pledged that future seasons will address the issue of “ratting” in the game.
The controversial “ratting” technique, which relies on avoiding as many fights as possible and running down the timer to stay in the game as long as possible, has divided the player base.
These “rats” are frequently slammed for not playing the game how it was intended, although some players maintain that it is a legitimate strategy. Things boiled over when a recent devblog slammed ratting as an unrewarding way to play, which divided the community further.
The blog read: “We’ve noticed a particular pattern in both Ranked and ALGS levels: teams stay outside of the ring and delay interacting with other teams to gain points. Hiding and avoiding firefights isn’t a rewarding way to play Apex Legends.”
Apex Legends devs pledge future seasons will address “ratting”
The devs confirmed that they would adjust ring timings to make mid-game encounters more likely, as well as cranking up ring damage to disincentivize staying in the zone to avoid players. They also said that popular ratting spots would be tweaked to make them less safe.
In a recent AMA on the official Apex Legends subreddit, developers clarified their position on ratting further when a player asked them to elaborate on the blog post.
They asked: “While you did say in the blog ratting is unfun can you say more directly that is still a legitimate way to play a battle royale? There is a portion of this community that needs to hear that from you as they are causing hate towards other players. You can reduce hate and make this a better community.”
The devs replied: “We want the focus in Ranked to be playing to win. Part of winning the match is survival and being tactical in what fights you take.
“What we DO NOT want to happen is exploitative play. Hiding in positions and just refusing to engage to win is not good and healthy for the game. We want all players to run the race, and not wait for as many teams as possible to crash out.
“We have a lot of work to do here and expect more changes to come season over season as we see player behavior evolve.”
For more news and updates on Apex Legends, check out our guide to the Revenant Reborn rework ahead of Season 18
