Respawn Entertainment May Delay Apex Legends Character Releases in the Future

A statement to Dexerto's Callum Patterson may suggest that Apex Legends developers could be looking to space out future legend releases.

It's no secret that Apex fans have seen an influx of playable characters since the game's launch. Each season has featured its own headlining legend since Season 1 in 2019 — where the developers debuted Octane. This trend has continued through to this upcoming season where fans are expecting to check out "Newcastle," Bangalore's brother. However, this has led to what some are calling an oversaturation of the roster, and has a sect of Apex players worried about what this could mean for the game going forward.

Recently, Dexerto's Callum Patterson had the opportunity to speak with some of the developers on the Apex Legends team. With the concerns around the game's roster becoming a bit too big for players to handle, it's no surprise that a handful of questions were pointed at future releases.

According to Devan McGuire, a senior character designer, Respawn is aware of the issue and recognizes it may not always be the best plan in the future.

“Whether or not that pattern continues is an ongoing discussion, and it might not be changed, but we don’t want to saturate the pool [of Legends]," he said.

McGuire went on to explain that the primary focus of the developers is on gunplay rather than each legend and their idiosyncrasies that set them apart. However, as more legends are created and added in, he explained that it has become more difficult to make them "unique, without being overpowered, or too niche."

For that reason, the developers may end up hitting a "breaking point" where adding another legend every season simply isn't feasible or in the best interest of the game.

Cristina Ferez, the lead concept artist on Apex Legends, explained that creating viable legends goes beyond how they perform in battle. In order to provide the best gameplay experience, it's critical that legends can be told apart at a moment's notice. This task of creating a unique signature look and silhouette is part of what makes the process so difficult moving forward.

While neither team member have confirmed the slow-down, given the challenges necessary to bring new characters in, it certainly stands that adding a new legend every season may not be in the best interest of the game's longevity.