Apex can reclaim its throne by getting rid of aim assist.
I want an experimental event with no aim assist.
Forum Discussion
I'm talking strictly about the PC sever; consoles are a completely different story.
What actually happens if they get rid of aim assist.
Pros
First off, making this change would make Apex much more competitive compared to its rivals on PC. If we look at Steam's player counts for free-to-play Battle Royales, PUBG still maintains a massive player base. On the other hand, since the devs describe Apex as a competitive shooter, Valorant it its biggest rival-and Valorant's player count simply higher than Apex's right now. I believe that removing aim assist, Apex has a high potential to absorb players from these titles. Right now, FPS community is fragmented across many different games, and minor tweaks aren't going to bring the player base back in a big way.
Since the majority of the current player base uses controllers, removing aim assist would mean many of them would perform at their actual skill level. This would naturally lower the entry barrier, making it much easier for true beginners to get into the game.
Removing aim assist will increase the overall difficulty of the game, which will help distribute the rank population more naturally. This could solve the "Diamond elo smurfing" i mentioned before. Ultimately, this creates a much healthier environment for beginners.
Lastly, it simply makes the game more competitive. This could breathe new life into the pro scene and make it even more exciting to watch. In fact, there's player named NIRU who actually hit solo Master rank on controller with aim assist turned OFF.
It would also wipe out all those third-party devices that give aim assist to mice. This would finally put an end to that king of hardware-level chaeting.
Cons
Some might argue that controller players will quit the game. While that might be true for consoles, I don't think it applies to PC. PC gamers don't just stop gaming overnight; they usually look for a similar game to migrate to or smurfing, but the problem is-there isn't one.
If the devs themselves use controllers, they won't be able to win anymore. Plus, they probably just don't want the hassle if massive update or the headache of dealing with the inevitable crying from the controller community.
If you’re going to criticize this idea, please bring a counter-proposal that has more pros than mine. Let’s keep this a logical debate.
I oppose the complete removal of AA.
The core issue here isn't a comparison of pros and cons—it’s a question of feasibility. Attempting to equalize the experience of fundamentally different hardware through minor tuning is a reckless endeavor. Instead of trying to "fake" parity, it is far more realistic to completely separate the matchmaking pools by input.
I am aware from your previous posts that you consider separating the matchmaking pools to be unrealistic. However, I have a different perspective and believe that separation is actually the more feasible solution. Please keep this fundamental difference in our viewpoints in mind as you read my response.
I also have doubts regarding the "merits" listed in the proposal.
- Inaccurate competitive analysis: While Apex, Valorant, and PUBG share some elements, their design philosophies are fundamentally different, leading to distinct target audiences. Valorant is a tactical shooter, which is structurally different from a BR, its visual identity and world-building are on a completely different path. Similarly, PUBG focuses on a grounded, "realistic" military aesthetic, which is the polar opposite of Apex’s high-fantasy, hero-based design. Because these games are so clearly differentiated in their core design, citing them as direct competitors to gain users from is a flawed marketing premise.
- Rank Accuracy and Hardware: The impact of device differences on rank accuracy is minimal. While I agree that smurfing distorts rank precision, device differences are not the direct cause of smurfing. Removing AA will not resolve the underlying issues with rank accuracy. As for a real solution to smurfing and rank accuracy, the focus should be on increasing the "cost" of account inactivity in high tiers.
- The role of competitive play: The game should not adapt to the competitive scene; rather, the competitive scene must adapt to the game. Adaptability is a core component of player skill. It is the player’s responsibility to captivate the audience by mastering their craft within the game's existing specifications. In fact, we already see high-level MnK players successfully outplaying Controller players through sheer skill and effort. There is no need to change the game's specifications.
- Anti-Cheat: Cheating and the performance gap between devices are separate issues. Even with current hardware differences, developers are already banning players for hardware-based cheats in practice.
If you are viewing certain high-functional PADs as a problem, just as the PCs that can access Apex are limited, why not limit the PADs usable on PC to things equivalent to Sony or Microsoft genuine products? Was I correct in understanding that there should be no problem as long as one plays PC PAD with Sony or Microsoft genuine products？
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