Forum Discussion

Re: Apex can reclaim its throne by getting rid of aim assist.

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.

 

8 Replies

  • apetitiporkill's avatar
    apetitiporkill
    Rising Rookie
    9 days ago

    I quit the game because of that AIM ASSIST nerd, and yes, I play with a controller.

  • Akipekopeko's avatar
    Akipekopeko
    New Veteran
    20 days ago

    c0123456789​ 

    I am not disregarding fairness. I am pointing out the recklessness of trying to achieve the same experience while ignoring the inherent differences between devices.

    Taking away AA without accounting for the physical characteristics of the hardware would only lead to a different form of unfairness. Controllers and MnK  are fundamentally different; it is impossible to bring them to the same level of experience through minor tuning.

    Regarding ALGS, my view is that we should refrain from altering the game’s core foundation just to suit the convenience of the competitive scene. This does not mean I am advocating for leaving unfairness in the game unaddressed.

    I said that we should ensure true fairness by separating the matchmaking servers.

    In short, the competitive scene exists only because the game itself serves as its foundation. We should not destroy that foundation for the sake of the competition; rather, we must consider the proper order of things—either focusing on how to compete within that foundation or determining how to structurally reorganize the foundation itself.

  • c0123456789's avatar
    c0123456789
    New Traveler
    20 days ago

    Isn't the current state actually just a "fake parity"? When you buy a PC, a mouse and keyboard are standard, but a controller isn't mandatory. Personally, I think completely separating the matchmaking pools by input method is a viable option, though as I mentioned before, you run into player population issues.

    You're calling my competitor analysis inaccurate—fine, then what do you consider an accurate competitor? Data shows that people who play free-to-play games tend to stick to other F2P titles. I intentionally brought up F2P FPS games that are in a similar "generation" as Apex.If we're talking high-fantasy hero shooters, there's OW. But if you’ve actually played it, you’d know they have a massive surplus of DPS players; that's why DPS queue times are so long. I believe that if AA (Aim Assist) were removed, a lot of those players would be more likely to switch to Apex. Anyway, give me a concrete example of what you call a "true competitor."

    The way AA buffs a specific portion of the player base clearly shortcuts the time needed to actually get good. That's exactly why the current rank distribution is so warped. Even if you increase the cost of inactivity for accounts in higher tiers, not everyone can play every day. Besides, we’re seeing smurfs even in Diamond—which isn't even that high of a rank. To be honest, I don't think the smurfing problem in Apex is coming from the top-tier players. There are way too many smurfs compared to the actual population of high rank player.

    Bringing up specific individuals when discussing the competitive scene is honestly just brain-dead. If you're going that route, you’d have to take into account people like Niru, who hit Master solo on a controller with zero aim assist, or Anthony, who puts up insane scores in Kovaak’s and Aim Lab without AA. We should be talking about the actual ratio of MnK to controller players instead and so on. Besides, the idea that MnK players are obligated to close the gap created by AA through pure skill and grind is just pathetic.

    And regarding anti-cheat—what I’m actually referring to are third-party devices specifically designed to give mouse users aim assist.

    As for high-performance controllers, MnK is also evolving year by year, and honestly, none of it is truly "fair." That’s exactly why I’m saying AA should just be removed entirely.

    By the way, what would happen to the competitive scene if the servers were split? I feel like if they did separate them, the less popular side would probably just end up being phased out after a while.

     

  • Akipekopeko's avatar
    Akipekopeko
    New Veteran
    20 days ago

    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.

    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. 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?

     

  • c0123456789's avatar
    c0123456789
    New Traveler
    21 days ago

    I saw an article saying the PC population for Apex has dropped by 80%. It's obvious the game needs a massive update to bring  people back. I can really feel the downsides of the low player count lately. If the console player base hasn't tanked as hard as PC, there's really no reason to change systems.

  • NickBeam27's avatar
    NickBeam27
    Seasoned Ace
    21 days ago

    Thank you for clarifying.

    I don't play on PC, so I can't comment on that side of things. I Guess I'm just used to many PC players when playing in lobbies with console players always are bitching about our aim assist, that our spring loaded analog stick uses. There has been many times on this forum a confusion of the two debates. 

  • c0123456789's avatar
    c0123456789
    New Traveler
    22 days ago

    Exactly. Consoles(PS4/PS5/Xbox and so on) are a separate issue.

    I think they should keep the aim assist as it is when they join PC servers via crossplay.  It'd be rough if the mechanics were too different. At the end of the day, we are talking about ways to increase the player base. Honestly, I don't know enough about the console player base trends to really comment on that part.

  • NickBeam27's avatar
    NickBeam27
    Seasoned Ace
    22 days ago

    To be perfectly clear, you are talking about PC users playing on PC with controllers vs PC users playing on PC with MnK?

    PS4/PS5 roller users not applicable? 

    From your posts, I believe this is correct, however I  just want to make sure. 

Featured Places

Node avatar for Apex Legends Feedback

Apex Legends Feedback

Give feedback about the Legends, maps, weapons, loot and more in the Apex Legends community forums.Latest Activity: 2 days ago
34,704 Posts