Respawn Entertainment has made the decision to remove Apex Legends tap strafing in a future patch, taking away a movement technique that high-level players have used to great effect on PC and console.
Apex Legends is Respawn Entertainment's flagship Battle Royale game. Set in the Titanfall universe, players select from their choice of over a dozen "Legends" and dive into battle with 3-man or 2-man squads. This shooter has a high skill ceiling, but it's about to get a little bit lower — Respawn is removing tap strafing from the game.
What is Tap Strafing in Apex Legends?
As this video from YouTube ottr explains, Apex Legends tap strafing is a movement ability that effectively allows players to make very sharp turns while constantly jumping; in a sense, it can be thought of as similar to bunny hopping. This move is typically done by binding the jump command to the scroll wheel and changing directions with precise timing.
Tap strafing has several advantages for players who can execute the technique. First and foremost, using tap strafing during a fight makes you difficult to hit. It also has secondary uses such as the ability to make very sharp turns while using the double jump on Octane's jump pad.
Why Apex Legends Tap Strafing is Being Removed
Apex Legends tap strafing is being removed for three reasons, all of which were explained in a short tweet send out by Respawn Entertainment earlier today.
"After much consideration and debate, we've decided to remove tap-strafing from @playapex in patch 10.1," read a tweet from Respawn Entertainment (via Reddit). "Our reasoning: It's inaccessible, lacks readability/counterplay, and is exacerbated by movement abilities. The next patch notes will include a more detailed note about this."
What isn't exactly addressed in that tweet is the divide between PC and console players — tap strafing is somewhat more difficult (if not outright impossible) to execute on a controller. By removing tap strafing, Respawn will be making PC players using keyboard and mouse a little less maneuverable. Some players in the Reddit discussion on the topic suggest that Apex Legends should shift to input-based matchmaking and leave tap strafing in the game; others are happy to see this movement system go.
It's all a moot point in the end — Apex Legends tap strafing is being removed in Patch 10.1; more details will arrive in the upcoming patch notes. For now, you can play Apex Legends for free on PC and consoles via its official website and look forward to that new tropical island map dataminers have discovered in the game's files.
What do you think of Apex Legends tap strafing being removed from the game? Do you prefer that games preserve movement tricks like bunny hopping or should these exploits be removed from a game? Let us know in the comments below!
