Apex Legends Aim Assist getting nerfed on PC in Season 22

Aim Assist is getting nerfed in Apex Legends Season 22. Apex devs hinted that they were looking into adjusting the mechanic several seasons ago. Now, they are finally ready to make some changes.

These Aim Assist nerfs will only apply to Apex Legends lobbies on PC. Console lobbies will be unaffected and Console Aim Assist is not getting changed. However, Console players who cross play with PC players will have their Aim Assist reduced to the same as PC Controller players.

Apex Season 22 details:

"Simply put, Aim Assist is too strong in PC lobbies" said Respawn Dev Eric Canvaese speaking at the Apex Season 22 preview event. To counter this, he added, "we are going to reduce Aim Assists strength by about 25%".

However, it was also stressed that Aim Assist will never be removed. Aim Assist is needed to bridge the gap between the two inputs. It is just too strong in its current configuration.

This change has been long in the making, and developers stress this change has been thoroughly tested and it made based on a huge amount of data.

With the Apex Season 22 full patch notes we have the exact details of the Apex Aim Assist nerf:

Aim Assist Changes:

Through this change and the comments about why they chose to make it, Developers have directly addressed that Aim Assist in Apex means players are switching inputs to gain an advantage in the game.

This has been seen hugely amongst Apex's professional players in the ALGS. .Long term competitors and big names such as ImperialHal, Lou, Frexs and Reptar have all swapped inputs to continue competing. Teams have evolved from having zero to one controller players, to having at least two.

There is no doubt that for the very best players, Aim Assist gives you a huge advantage in Apex. That is not to say that Mouse and Keyboard players can't compete. Of course they can. The likes of Zer0, Sweetdreams and ImMadness all finished in the top 10 for kills in the most recent Pro League Split.

However, consistency is key. Aim Assist helps players be more consistent, and that has been the driving force behind their steady takeover of the ALGS.

For casual players, this is felt even more heavily in some respects. Mouse and Keyboard players often complain about the amount of time needed to keep up with controller counterparts. Controller is easier to pick back up, with less time needed to get sharp. If you only have a few hours a week to play, why would you want to choose the input that requires a lot more time investment?

While it is easy to hear the phrase 25% nerf, it is harder to know exactly what this change will feel like. Clearly, developers don't want to gut the controller on PC and make the input feel significantly weaker. However, this should move the needle back in the direction of Mouse and Keyboard.

What is to be seen is how far the needle will move. Will players want to swap back to Mouse and Keyboard at the top level? How strongly will the nerf be felt by the average player? Is this nerf enough to disrupt the controller dominance in the game?

Time will tell, however, this is undoubtedly a positive change for Apex Legends. Attempts to shift the balance through weapon changes hasn't really worked. More drastic change was needed. This much awaited Apex Aim Assist nerf may well be a gamechanger for Apex players of all skills.

Apex Season 22 releases August 6. Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest Apex Legends Season 22 news.