Respawn Entertainment recently held an Ask Me Anything (AMA) on Reddit, addressing fan questions about Apex Legends’ latest balance changes, particularly focusing on Pathfinder’s controversial grapple nerf and the underwhelming state of the Skirmisher class overall. The AMA provided valuable insight into the reasoning behind recent decisions, community concerns, and what Players can expect moving forward. Read the full AMA here.
Pathfinder’s Grapple Nerf: Why It Happened
Pathfinder has long been a favorite among Apex Legends players, known for his dynamic mobility and skill-based gameplay. His grapple allowed skilled players to traverse the map quickly, providing unmatched verticality and tactical flexibility. However, with the launch of Season 23, Pathfinder’s grapple received a significant nerf—introducing a fixed cooldown of 30 seconds, replacing the previous distance-based cooldown.
This drastic change left many players feeling frustrated, arguing that the nerf robbed Pathfinder of his core appeal: fluid, dynamic Movement. During the AMA, Respawn’s Lead Game Designer, Devan (u/RV-Devan), provided valuable context behind this controversial decision. According to Devan, Pathfinder was deliberately dialed back to give space for other Legends, particularly those within the Assault and Support classes, to take center stage.
Devan explained, “He’s intentionally taken a backseat recently to allow other Legends a chance in the spotlight at the start of Season 23. Despite the changes, he remained the second-most played Legend on the roster.”
In other words, Pathfinder’s popularity and overwhelming pick rate meant he had to be temporarily scaled back to encourage diversity in gameplay. Devan also humorously dismissed suggestions that Pathfinder could inherit Horizon’s passive ability, stating, “She has moon boots. He has robot chicken legs. It just doesn’t work with the laws of physics.”
Adjustments are Coming Soon
Despite acknowledging the rationale behind the nerf, Respawn has clearly heard the community’s dissatisfaction. They confirmed that Pathfinder’s current state is temporaryand that he will soon receive new adjustments. Devan explicitly addressed community feedback, promising players that adjustments to Pathfinder’s grapple cooldown are on the way. Although he did not confirm a return to the previous “distance-based” cooldown, he hinted at a balanced solution:
“We’re likely to see adjustments to Pathfinder in the near future. We don’t want him to remain a sour point in the roster for much longer, but do want to encourage folk to branch out and try some of the new and exciting boons other Legends have received while Pathfinder gets tooled up.”
Skirmishers: Next in Line for Major Updates
Another major talking point in the AMA was the Skirmisher class, widely criticized by players as the weakest Legend class, with underwhelming abilities compared to more impactful Assault and Support Legends. Players particularly highlighted Wraith as feeling outdated compared to Ash, who recently received powerful mobility and damage-focused enhancements.
John (u/RSPN_JayBiebs), another Game Designer from Respawn, addressed this directly. He confirmed that Skirmishers would soon receive significant adjustments, specifically aiming to restore Legends like Wraith to their original role as agile, elusive fighters capable of dynamically repositioning and disrupting enemies.
“Personal bias aside, I’m excited to get Wraith back to her effective skirmishing state,” John noted, adding that Ash’s dash does overlap somewhat with Skirmisher abilities but retains its “Assault-y” feel. He teased that Respawn frequently evaluates Legend placements and hinted Wraith’s upcoming improvements would reinforce her unique identity.
Player Feedback and Respawn’s Balancing Philosophy
Respawn consistently emphasized throughout the AMA that player feedback significantly influences their balancing decisions. The Pathfinder situation exemplifies Respawn’s philosophy: taking calculated risks by shaking up the meta dramatically and then carefully adjusting based on live feedback. They acknowledged the frustration of players whose favorite Legends were adversely impacted by recent meta shake-ups, yet stressed such shifts were necessary to keep gameplay fresh.
Respawn also explained their strategy: making bold moves at the beginning of each season provides clearer insights into the game’s health, helping them respond more precisely to player experiences. As JayBiebs succinctly explained, perfect balance is neither achievable nor desirable:
“Perfect balance is unobtainable and boring… we just need to be diligent about keeping the sharp edges in check with things like frequent targeted hotfixes.”
Respawn’s transparency around Pathfinder and the Skirmisher class changes demonstrates their willingness to recalibrate decisions based on community sentiment, aiming to maintain Apex Legends as fresh and engaging without compromising core gameplay enjoyment.
For the full AMA and deeper insights from the Respawn developers, you can visit the original Reddit thread here.
As the Apex community eagerly awaits the promised changes to Pathfinder and the Skirmisher class, it’s clear Respawn remains committed to adapting the game to best serve both competitive integrity and player satisfaction.
FAQ about Pathfinder and Skirmisher classes
Why did Respawn nerf Pathfinder’s grapple?
Respawn nerfed Pathfinder’s grapple by setting a fixed 30-second cooldown to temporarily reduce his popularity, allowing other Legends to gain spotlight during the recent meta shakeup. Developers acknowledged that the nerf was intentionally strong but confirmed adjustments would be coming soon.
Will Pathfinder’s grapple cooldown revert to the original distance-based system?
While Respawn confirmed upcoming adjustments to Pathfinder’s grapple cooldown, they indicated it might not be a full revert to the old distance-based system, but rather a compromise designed to restore some mobility and fun to the Legend.
Are Skirmisher Legends, such as Wraith, getting significant buffs soon?
Yes. Developers explicitly confirmed that Skirmishers are the next class to receive significant attention. Wraith in particular was highlighted as being set to return to her more impactful, skirmishing roots.
Why are Skirmishers behind other classes in terms of meta changes?
Respawn explained that the recent seasons have heavily focused on the Assault and Support classes, intentionally allowing other classes like Skirmisher to temporarily step back. However, Skirmishers are now prioritized for future updates due to player feedback and class underperformance.
How does Respawn approach balancing Apex Legends?
Respawn’s philosophy involves taking bold, experimental steps to regularly shake up the meta, followed by careful, targeted adjustments based on community feedback and data analysis. They believe perfect balance is impossible and aim instead for gameplay that stays fresh and exciting over time.
