Respawn Entertainment’s battle royale hit Apex Legends has been seeing foul play from some of the game’s top players, according to a report by Eurogamer and corroborated by sourced footage on social media.
While the game needs at least one surviving player or teams of three to end the match, users on Reddit and other competitors claimed players such as Skittles and Xyona practiced “teaming,” a technique where squads build alliances in a match. The session ends with a showdown between the two teams who break the alliance to decide a winner.
A video shared on Reddit shows two squads supporting each other while setting a trap for unsuspecting Apex Legends players. The game, over a European server, received backlash from community users who suggested a ban to take place. Users also added teaming also gives players a disadvantage as others gain double the visual information and higher ground under a free-for-all game format.
Teaming also contributes to higher wins, resulting in players climbing through competitive rankings with the help of others. The act could also put players in a rare place where the world’s top 500 players sit. This lead to players suggesting its rankings were different than what they should appear to be.
Respawn Entertainment developer and senior designer Chin Xiang Chong later responded to Apex Legends community members, stating the studio was aware of the claims and are conducting an investigation over recent teaming plays.
Eurogamer previously reported (and tested) on teaming as an issue for players since the game was released in 2019, with Respawn receiving a number of complaints over being overwhelmed by different squads at the same time.
