The return of a controversial feature from an earlier season of Apex Legends has fans concerned about balance, and rightly so. For those who were yet to step foot in Kings Canyon during the battle royale’s second season, Battle Charge not only introduced a new defender in the form of Wattson, but a bespoke ammo type designed specifically to punch through shields.
In their original incarnation, Disruptor rounds were considered by many players to be too good at their job, with shield damage cranked all the way up to 55%. Naturally, this resulted in a much lower time-to-kill and made fighting back against any foe with plentiful reserves without any of your own borderline impossible. Fortunately, game designer Eric Canavese tells Game Rant that this potency has been toned down to around 40% for Season 10, but that’s not all.
Unlike before, when Disruptor rounds were readily available as world loot, they’ll only be located in a specific place this time around, i.e. care packages. Among other lucrative loot found inside the randomly spawning crates will be the Alternator SMG pre-loaded with a magazine of shield shattering bullets. This will be the only method of accessing the damage boost, making it considerably less prevalent than before and adding a much-needed layer of risk never present originally.
This is all reassuring, no doubt, but it won’t be until players get a few hours of combat experience under their belt during Apex Legends Season 10 that a clearer picture will become clear. Reemergence is live now across all platforms and you can learn more about everything new by heading this way for a full breakdown.