Season 22 of Apex Legends has launched with the much-anticipated Temporal Chaos Collection Event, offering players fresh content and exciting new features. However, this season has also been marred by a wave of bugs and glitches, leaving many wondering if Respawn Entertainment can fix these issues before it’s too late.
New Content Highlights: Crypto’s Invisibility, Dual-Wielding, and E District Map
Season 22 has introduced some incredible additions to Apex Legends. Crypto’s new ability to go invisible has been a standout feature, adding a thrilling dynamic to gameplay. Players are also enjoying the dual-wielding mechanic, which brings a fresh layer of strategy to battles. The new E District map, while facing some criticism for loot distribution, has generally been well-received for its vertical design and engaging gameplay.
Ranked Mode Issues: Massive Reset Frustrates Players
Despite these positives, the season has been plagued by significant bugs, particularly in ranked mode. Many players have reported a massive rank reset, where high-ranking players found themselves demoted to much lower tiers. For instance, a prominent player, Vaz, shared on Twitter that he was reset from Gold 2 to Silver 4, and this issue seems to have affected a wide range of players, including top-tier competitors like Delou, who was dropped to Plat 2.
Respawn has acknowledged the issue, attributing it to an early rank split triggered by a glitch in the map rotation system. Although Respawn is working on a fix, this is the second major ranked mode issue since the season’s launch, causing widespread frustration among the community.
Playlist Confusion and Bugs: Duos, Quads, and Revival Mode
The first week of Season 22 saw chaos in the playlist options as well. Modes like Duos, Quads, and Trios appeared and disappeared unexpectedly, confusing players who were looking forward to the new LTM Revival. While some players have voiced their dissatisfaction with Revival, others appreciate it as a fun mode for casual play. However, the instability in game modes has only added to the growing list of issues this season.
Community Sentiment: Player Base Shows Signs of Decline
Player engagement metrics reflect the community’s frustration. Although the player count peaked at over 34 million shortly after Season 22’s launch, it quickly dropped by 800,000 players following the ranked reset issue. This decline is significant when compared to the launch of Season 21, which saw higher player engagement despite having no new map.
The continuous technical problems have sparked discussions about the need for an engine overhaul or at least significant backend improvements. Some players are also pointing to Respawn’s decision to lay off their QA teams in Baton Rouge and the EU as a potential factor in the game’s increasing instability.
Future of Apex Legends: Can Respawn Recover?
With players facing issues like desync, server disconnects, and persistent audio problems, the future of Apex Legends hangs in the balance. The community is eager for the exciting new content, but unless Respawn can resolve these game-breaking bugs, player interest may continue to decline.
