Apex Legends developer Respawn Entertainment revealed that it will be removing tap-strafing in the game’s upcoming 10.1 patch. The popular movement technique was used by highly skilled PC players to turn and strafe more quickly by repeatedly pressing the forward movement key or binding movement to the scroll wheel of a mouse. Respawn has promised to include more information about the decision in the 10.1 patch notes, but players are already upset about the change.
After much consideration and debate, we've decided to remove tap-strafing from @playapex in patch 10.1.
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.
— Respawn (@Respawn) August 31, 2021
Tap-strafing is an advanced movement technique that high-level players use to get the jump on other players. Performing the technique correctly involves sliding, jumping, and strafing at the same time, as well as binding the Move Forward command to a mouse scroll wheel. As tap-strafing requires several keys to be pressed at once ,as well as the extra input given by the mouse, it can’t be done with a controller.
One of Apex Legends‘ biggest updates was crossplay, meaning that PC and console players can play together and against each other. Even with the aim assist granted to console players due to the relative inaccuracies of a controller, it appears that Respawn believes that tap-strafing gives PC players too much of an advantage in matches.
Fan blowback was swift and strong. Prominent Apex streamer nokokopuffs bluntly responded to the tweet, saying: “Actually shittiest decision ever made.” NRG member and streamer Rogue also responded, asking Respawn to “change this decision.” Both tweets have thousands of likes, and the majority of other tweets appear to be complaining about how console players get help with their play but PC players have had the tap-strafe advantage taken away from them.
While some agree with the decision, the most frequent reaction appears to be one of anger, with fans arguing over whether tap-strafing is truly an “advanced” move. Respawn says that the technique is “inaccessible, lacks readability/counterplay, and is exacerbated by movement abilities.” With the high-mobility Octane being the most frequently chosen legend right now by a large margin, it seems as though Respawn is looking to cut down on other movement-based advantages.
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