Apex Legends Forum Goes Into Meltdown After Developer Insults Fans

Apex Legends has once again found itself courting controversy.

Last week, the latest event – Iron Crown Collection – went live for the battle royale, marking the long-awaited introduction of solos mode. From now until August 27th, players are able to queue up for a session of gaming without first being forced into a team with two others. A few teething problems aside, the limited-time (potentially permanent, if all goes well) playlist has gone over smoothly with the player base. Unfortunately, though, the same can’t be said for EA and Respawn’s monetization model.

A wealth of character and weapon skins – including a new heirloom for Bloodhound – introduced as part of Iron Crown quickly prompted a backlash from fans due, not just to their exorbitant prices, but the method in which they’re obtained. Only via purchasing premium loot boxes for $7 a pop are players able to pursue the new skins, a process that, unsurprisingly, is completely random. To make matters worse, only by obtaining every event skin would players then be able to get their hands on Bloodhound’s aforementioned heirloom.

Respawn has since apologized for “missing the mark” with its pricing model for Iron Crown and has outlined a series of changes due to go live sometime this week. A welcome turn of events, for sure, but far from the drastic changes some fans were hoping and expecting to see.

Following the barrage of complaints on the Apex subreddit, various members of the development team let go of their self-restraint and began responding in kind with their own vitriol. One studio employee, ‘dko5,’ had more than a few choice words to share, and you can see below for but a few samples:

As expected, dko5’s comments only served to add further fuel to the fire, leading to an outright flame war between players and creators. The unprofessional outburst has irrevocably damaged relations between the two and led to the publication of an open letter bitterly hailing the beginning of a “new era of hostility and bitterness.” for Apex Legends. Ouch.

What happens from here on out is anyone’s guess and while on a personal level I can understand Respawn’s frustration, this is certainly not the way to voice it. Stay tuned.