Respawn delaying Apex Legends tap-strafing changes due to ‘unexpected side effects’

Respawn’s plans to remove tap-strafing from Apex Legends are being put on hold.

Tap-strafing, a mechanic that allows PC players to quickly change directions after a slide jump, was initially slated to be axed in Apex‘s Patch 10.1. But Respawn decided to delay the changes due to “some unexpected side effects,” the company announced today.

“It is still our intention to address some of the most egregious use-cases of tap-strafing, but for now we are delaying our planned change to a later patch,” Respawn said. “After further testing, we’ve concluded we need to take more time to get this right to make sure related movement mechanics aren’t caught in the cross-fire.”

The planned changes seemingly caused issues with other movement mechanics, which would clearly interfere with the battle royale’s core gameplay. While Respawn is still set on removing tap-strafing from Apex to uphold the idea that “movement is sacred,” it’s being postponed for now.

Respawn’s reasoning for removing tap-strafing is because it’s “inaccessible, lacks readability/counterplay, and is exacerbated by movement abilities,” the company said on Aug. 31. And since only PC players with high-tier mechanics use it effectively, devs likely wanted to create an even playing field across all platforms. Some PC players weren’t happy with the news, however, arguing that controller users have the unfair advantage of aim assist. But Respawn is set on addressing the more “egregious use-cases.”

Respawn hasn’t given a set timeline on when tap-strafing will be removed. But fans can expect it to come in a “later patch.”