Ahead of Apex Legends Season 16, Respawn Entertainment developers have confirmed that they are investigating audio issues in the battle royale game.
We know that the next big update in Apex Legends will include no new Legend for the first time in its history, instead opting for a series of tweaks to existing characters. A gold shotgun bolt and Nemesis Burst AR will be landing in the game as well.
On top of that, the devs have also given a huge buff to the Hemlok, as it will be stored inside Care Packages moving forward.
But, what about noise pollution in Apex Legends?
Apex Legends devs respond to audio issues before Season 16
An interview was conducted by GLHF and posted to Video Games FN asked Respawn staff directly. The reporter asked: “The next question is something that comes up in the community a fair bit – noise pollution.”
Of course, this is referring to the audio issues the Apex community wants to see the back of.
When asked about if there are plans to address the problems, particularly with inconsistent footsteps, senior design director Evan Nikolich replied: “I mean, we’re definitely investigating it. The tech is… our engine tech was not built with BR in mind.”
EA released a gameplay trailer for Season 16 on February 8, as seen below.
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After being pressed on the source engine, Nikolich suggested it’s going to require gradual improvements rather than one quick fix.
They said: “It is Source Engine-based, but it’s very modified from Titanfall, forked long ago from Valve’s Source Engine.”
“So it’s definitely something that bothers us personally, as well, we’re always trying to work on it and figure out ways to help improve the footsteps.
“While we don’t have a direct fix this season, and I’m not sure we’ll ever be like a silver bullet fix, this is something we’re constantly working on season over season.”
Apex Legends Season 16 players might have been hoping for major changes to audio when the next major patch drops on February 14, but it appears this one is going to be a slow burn for the developers to get right.
For more information on S16, check out our own developer interview, where the Respawn team laid out their vision for the future of the battle royale.